Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid carbon dots (EDTA-CDs) with a strong fluorescence, were synthesized via a hydrothermal treatment. The temperature and time of hydrothermal process were found to be the critical factors on the fluorescence properties of EDTA-CDs. The results demonstrated that concomitant with increasing heating temperature (from 25 to 230 degrees C) and prolonging heating time (from 0 to 20 h), the fluorescence intensity of EDTA-CDs significantly enhanced and the maximum wavelength moved towards the long wavelength region (from 400 nm to 450 nm). Importantly, EDTA-CDs exhibited excellent specificity, selectivity and biocompatibility, which could be successfully applied in determination of iron ions and bioimaging fields.
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