A ratiometric fluorescent probe based on PCN-224 for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of copper ions

Copper is a ubiquitous metal in the environment. Due to the complexity of traditional detection techniques, searching for a selective and sensitive probe to quantify the concentration of copper ions is of great significance. Herein, a novel fluorescent probe (CDs-PCN) was synthesized by the post-synthetic modification of PCN-224 with carbon dots. In this probe, the emission of carbon dots was utilized as a reference signal, and the emission of PCN-224 was taken as a sensitive response signal with the active sites for detecting copper ions. Due to the rapid, sensitive and selective response to copper ions, CDs-PCN is exploited as an excellent ratiometric fluorescence probe for detecting copper ions with a low detection limit of 44 nM.