MoS(2) QDs/8-Armed Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Fluorescence Sensor for Three Nitrotoluenes (TNT) Detection

In this work, ammonia cross-linked 8-armed polyethylene glycol hydrogel material was successfully synthesized and used as a template for synthesizing nanoparticles with fluorescent properties. The 8-armed polyethylene glycol hydrogel template was used to prepare molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS(2) QDs). The ammonium tetrathiomolybdate functioned as a molybdenum source and hydrazine hydrate functioned as a reducing agent. The fluorescence properties of the as-prepared MoS(2) QDs were investigated. The bursting of fluorescence caused by adding different concentrations of explosive TNT was studied. The study indicated that the synthesized MoS(2) QDs can be used for trace TNT detection with a detection limit of 6 nmol/L and a detection range of 16–700 nmol/L. Furthermore, it indicated that the fluorescence-bursting mechanism is static bursting.