Paper Title
Synthesis and Characterization of Highly-Fluorescent and Multifaceted Optical Carbon Dots from Enokitake Mushroom for Cr6+ Sensing and Imaging Applications

Abstract
The widespread of carbon dots utilization in sensing applications is attributed to their excellent and unique properties, such as unique photoluminescence, high aqueous solubility, and simple synthesis from various raw natural materials. In this work, highly fluorescent and soluble carbon dots were synthesized from enokitake mushroom via one-step hydrothermal method in the presence of diluted sulfuric acid. Carbon dots exhibited blue photoluminescence under UV illumination, spherical average diameter of 4nm and with a quantum yield of 11%. Carbon dots was employed in photoluminescence properties for Cr6+ sensing and showed excellent probes in the quenching of Cr6+ with a limit of detection of 0.75 M. Fluorescent colorimetric paper-based device was fabricated and demonstrated to determine Cr6+ at concentrations as low as 10 M. They were further tested as a fingerprint detection agent and fluorophore for the manufacture of fluorescent plastics. Our results demonstrated that enokitake mushroom can be used to produce multi-faceted carbon dots with diverse applications.