Green synthesis of carbon dots for sensing of heavy metal ions: Bibliometric analysis from 2003-2024

Abstract

The release of heavy metals into the environment has surged, due to rapid industrialization and urbanization globally, which causes. contamination of air, water, and soil. These persistent and bioaccumulative metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic) pose major risks to both human health and the ecological balance. Therefore, heavy metal pollution emerges as a daunting challenge in contemporary times, Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their potential applications in sensing heavy metal ions. Many conventional chemical methods have been used for the synthesis of CDs, however, these methods possess many shortcomings such as noxious byproducts, harsh chemicals, high cost, etc. To diminish these shortcomings, green chemistry plays a significant role in the preparation of CDs. Thus, it is very imperative to explore the green synthesis methodologies for the preparation of CDs over conventional ones. The article delves into a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the green synthesis methods CDs for heavy metal ion sensing applications in the period between 2003-2024. Additionally, we have also provided an overview of the mechanism behind the green synthesis of CDs by exploring the role of phytoconstitutes present in natural resources. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism of CDs toward heavy metal ions is also explored. This review compiles the bibliometric analysis and synthesis process with various materials used for the detection of heavy metals.