Quantum dots capped with dummy molecularly imprinted film as luminescent sensor for the determination of tetrabromobisphenol A in water and soils.

Molecularly imprinted film with diphenolic acid (DPA) as dummy template molecule has been grafted on the surface of Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) to develop a selective and sensitive sensor for rapid determination of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in water and soils. The obtained DPA-MIP-QDs sensor has distinguished selectivity and high binding affinity to TBBPA. The fluorescence quenching fractions of the sensor presented a satisfactory linearity with the concentrations of TBBPA in the range of 0.1-100 μM, and its limit of detection can reach 0.015 μM. The sensor has been successfully applied to determine the TBBPA in water and soil samples, and the average recoveries of the TBBPA at various spiking levels ranged from 80.2% to 96.5% with relative standard deviation below 8.0%. The results provided a clue to develop sensors for rapid determination of hazardous materials from complex matrixes.