Design of zero-dimensional graphene quantum dots based nanostructures for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides in food and water: A review

From its inception, traditional analytical approaches have been the primary strategies for sensing organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs). Unfortunately, traditionally reported methods are suffering from plentiful limitations that include their cost factor, poor responsiveness, low specificity, tedious, etc. Recently, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been widely applied to researchers’ recognition of OPPs sensing in water and food samples, due to their outstanding and versatile attributes. Moreover, the combination of other nanomaterials like inorganic and organic materials, along with surface tuning of GQDs such as doping and functionalization, shows the potential to boost the performance of the sensing system. Despite this indubitable development, there is no detailed report on the design of zero-dimensional GQD-based nanostructures for the detection of OPPs in food and water. Therefore, we have addressed the GQDs-centered nanostructures for the recognition of OPPs in water and food. Importantly, it covers the consumption of OPPs and their impact on human health, while the synthesis and properties of nanosized GQDs have been reviewed. Besides, GQDs based on fluorescent, electrochemical, and colorimetric nanoprobe for monitoring OPPs have been illustrated. Moreover, sensing mechanisms, anti-interference potential, current challenges, and future research have been described. Fascinatingly, modification of GQDs enabled sensors exhibits supreme responsiveness and specificity for recognition of OPPs in provided samples. Accordingly, existing architectured GQDs mediated nanoprobes furnish the lower detection limit for OPPs up to a picogram. In near future, the nano-design of GQD-centered sensors will open up a new door for sensing OPPs in real-time samples.