Green synthesis of carbon dots from Hakka yellow wine lees: Characterization and applications for Fe3+ and NaFeEDTA sensing

In this study, Hakka yellow wine lees carbon dots (HYWL-CDs) with an average diameter of 1.75 nm are synthesized from Hakka yellow wine lees (HYWL) via a one-pot hydrothermal method. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and FTIR reveal the presence of C=C and –OH in the HYWL-CDs. Additionally, the HYWL-CDs present excitation-wavelength dependence, with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 360 and 440 nm, respectively. The fluorescence of the HYWL-CDs can be quenched by Fe 3+ . The Fe 3+ concentration is correlated linearly with the quenching rate over a linear range of 0.6–1.1 mg/mL, and the limit of detection is 0.18 μg/mL. And phenols have been shown to be present in HYWL-CDs, and the color reaction between phenols and FeCl 3 is most likely the mechanism by which FeCl 3 causes fluorescence burst in HYWL-CDs. Moreover, the HYWL-CDs demonstrate significant potential for detecting NaFeEDTA in iron-fortified soy sauces, the linear-fit equation was y = 185.38x + 1024.6 (R 2 = 0.9995) The HYWL-CDs are loaded onto paper strips, iron-fortified straw mushroom dark soy sauce showed noticeable color changes, which allows one to differentiate normal soy sauce from iron-fortified soy sauce more conveniently and provides a new perspective for the high-value utilization of yellow wine lees. • HYWL-CDs were synthesized via one-pot hydrothermal method. • The fluorescence of HYWL-CDs can be quenched by Fe 3+ with good linear responses. • HYWL-CDs have great potential for the detection of Fe 3+ and NaFeEDTA. • Paper strips loaded with HYWL-CDs were developed for Fe 3+ and NaFeEDTA detection.