Modified lanthanide-doped carbon dots as a novel nanochemosensor for efficient detection of water in toluene and its potential application in lubricant base oils

A fast and efficient method was developed for obtaining europium(III)-doped surface-modified carbon dots with a hydrophobic coating. This surface functionalization improved the dispersibility of the nanoparticles in non-polar media, as well as modified the accessibility of water molecules to the europium ions. These two features allowed studying the application of doped carbon dots as moisture nanochemosensor, demonstrating high stability over time of both the photoluminescent signal intensity and the stability of the dispersions. The developed nanochemosensor was used to determine water in toluene with a detection limit of 8.5 × 10(−4) M and a quantification limit of 2.4 × 10(−3) M. The proposed system matches and even improves other methodologies for water determination in organic solvents; it has a low detection limit and a fast response time (almost instantaneous) and requires neither expensive material nor trained personnel. The results suggest a promising future for the development of a new sensing phase for moisture determination in lubricant base oil. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00604-023-05659-5.