Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Szymczak, Maja, Hočevar, Jan, Iskra, Jernej, Lisjak, Darja, Djaniš, Jelena Papan, Marciniak, Lukasz, Elzbieciak-Piecka, Karolina
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24238
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866914118165856256
author Szymczak, Maja
Hočevar, Jan
Iskra, Jernej
Lisjak, Darja
Djaniš, Jelena Papan
Marciniak, Lukasz
Elzbieciak-Piecka, Karolina
author_facet Szymczak, Maja
Hočevar, Jan
Iskra, Jernej
Lisjak, Darja
Djaniš, Jelena Papan
Marciniak, Lukasz
Elzbieciak-Piecka, Karolina
contents In this work, we demonstrate the use of CQDs synthesized from lignin - currently one of the most abundant and underutilized by-products of paper and pulp production - for advanced pH monitoring applications. The presented approach integrates green chemistry principles with an operator-friendly, low-cost, and practical solution for spatial and temporal pH measurement. CQDs functionalized with m-aminophenylboronic acid enable highly sensitive and reversible pH readouts through two complementary mechanisms: ratiometric monitoring of emission band intensities, and direct visual observation of colorimetric changes reflected in the CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates. The system achieves maximal sensitivities of 137 percent per pH unit and 49.5 percent per pH unit, respectively, while simultaneously maintaining high measurement resolution and full reproducibility of the readouts, placing it among the most effective CQD-based pH sensors reported to date. Here, we demonstrate the capability of 2D luminescent imaging of pH distributions, allowing for both spatially resolved and time-resolved monitoring. Employing just an excitation source, a digital camera or smartphone, and RGB channel analysis, the setup eliminates the necessity for specialized filters or sophisticated instrumentation. The combination of multimodal readout strategies with the capacity for large-area visualization establishes lignin-derived CQDs as a sustainable and practical platform for pH sensing. By simultaneously addressing the challenges of waste valorization and the demand for innovative sensing technologies, this solution fulfills the requirements of both environmentally responsible material design and next-generation pH sensor development.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_24238
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unlocking Dynamic Luminescent Mapping of pH with Sustainable Lignin-Derived Carbon Dots with Multimodal Readout Capacity
Szymczak, Maja
Hočevar, Jan
Iskra, Jernej
Lisjak, Darja
Djaniš, Jelena Papan
Marciniak, Lukasz
Elzbieciak-Piecka, Karolina
Materials Science
In this work, we demonstrate the use of CQDs synthesized from lignin - currently one of the most abundant and underutilized by-products of paper and pulp production - for advanced pH monitoring applications. The presented approach integrates green chemistry principles with an operator-friendly, low-cost, and practical solution for spatial and temporal pH measurement. CQDs functionalized with m-aminophenylboronic acid enable highly sensitive and reversible pH readouts through two complementary mechanisms: ratiometric monitoring of emission band intensities, and direct visual observation of colorimetric changes reflected in the CIE1931 chromaticity coordinates. The system achieves maximal sensitivities of 137 percent per pH unit and 49.5 percent per pH unit, respectively, while simultaneously maintaining high measurement resolution and full reproducibility of the readouts, placing it among the most effective CQD-based pH sensors reported to date. Here, we demonstrate the capability of 2D luminescent imaging of pH distributions, allowing for both spatially resolved and time-resolved monitoring. Employing just an excitation source, a digital camera or smartphone, and RGB channel analysis, the setup eliminates the necessity for specialized filters or sophisticated instrumentation. The combination of multimodal readout strategies with the capacity for large-area visualization establishes lignin-derived CQDs as a sustainable and practical platform for pH sensing. By simultaneously addressing the challenges of waste valorization and the demand for innovative sensing technologies, this solution fulfills the requirements of both environmentally responsible material design and next-generation pH sensor development.
title Unlocking Dynamic Luminescent Mapping of pH with Sustainable Lignin-Derived Carbon Dots with Multimodal Readout Capacity
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24238