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VOL. 10, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Graphene quantum dot nanosensors for food safety monitoring: A comprehensive review of synthesis, surface functionalization, and emerging diagnostic platforms
Authors
Sudha Kumbar
Abstract
Ensuring the safety and integrity of the global food supply is a
critical challenge in an era of interconnected agricultural, industrial, and
environmental systems. Food products are increasingly susceptible to
contamination by pesticide residues, antibiotics, heavy metals, mycotoxins,
microplastics, and other chemical hazards, all of which pose serious risks to
human health. Conventional analytical techniques, including chromatography,
mass spectrometry, and immunoassays, are highly accurate but often suffer from
high costs, complex sample pre-processing, and unsuitability for rapid,
on-site, real-time screening. To overcome these barriers, nanotechnology-based
sensing platforms have emerged as highly promising alternatives. Among these,
Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs)—zero-dimensional carbonaceous nanomaterials —have
attracted significant attention owing to their exceptional photoluminescence,
large surface-to-volume ratio, chemical stability, superior biocompatibility,
low toxicity, and ease of functionalization. This review provides a
comprehensive, high-density analytical overview of GQD-based nanosensors for
food safety monitoring. We dissect the structural, optical, and physicochemical
properties of GQDs, contrasting the electronic behaviors of zigzag and armchair
edge configurations and core-state vs. surface-state emissions. Furthermore, we
evaluate top-down and bottom-up synthetic strategies, highlighting the
sustainability and circularity of green biomass-derived synthesis. Advanced
surface engineering techniques, including heteroatom doping (N, S, B, P) and
bioconjugation with antibodies, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers,
are systematically discussed. We present a highly detailed, grounded
performance matrix compiling limits of detection, food matrices, and detection
mechanisms for major food contaminants. Finally, current challenges relating to
reproducibility, matrix-induced quenching, and toxicity are evaluated alongside
emerging point-of-care, smartphone-integrated, and intelligent packaging
platforms, establishing a technical roadmap for the practical translation of
GQDs from the laboratory to the industrial supply chain.
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Pages:28-38
How to cite this article:
Sudha Kumbar "Graphene quantum dot nanosensors for food safety monitoring: A comprehensive review of synthesis, surface functionalization, and emerging diagnostic platforms". International Journal of Chemistry Studies, Vol 10, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 28-38
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