Performance and Mechanisms of Fluoride Removal from Groundwater by Lanthanum-aluminum-loaded Hydrothermal Palygorskite Composite

Lanthanum-aluminum loaded hydrothermal palygorskite(La-Al-HP) composite was prepared and selected as adsorbent for the fluoride removal from simulated groundwater. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller(BET) analysis, X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). SEM visualization shows that the dense surface structure of raw HP appeared loose and presented micro canals after modification. The BET analysis also proved the specific surface area of La-Al-HP composite(95.58 m²/g) was higher than that of the raw HP(34.31 m²/g). Subsequently, the adsorption capacity of La-Al-HP composite was demonstrated in adsorption experiments. The kinetics of fluoride ion adsorption into La-Al-HP composite followed the pseudo-second order with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The isotherm data was well fitted with the Langmuir model. The monolayer adsorption capacity of La-Al-HP composite was 1.30 mg/g. The XRD and XPS results reveal that the La³⁺ and Al³⁺ ions were loaded on the surface of modified HP and the fluoride ion was adsorbed onto the La-Al-HP composite. A large amount of La-Al-O composite oxide existing on the surface of La-Al-HP composite might be the immanent cause for the excellent adsorption capacity of fluoride ions.     

Ag_3PO_4/Palygorskite的静电调控合成及可见光催化降解罗丹明B和气相异丙醇

以大比表面的廉价易得的凹凸棒(palygorskite)为载体,借助带电荷界面的静电调控作用,采用吸附-沉积沉淀方法制备磷酸银/凹凸棒(Ag3PO4/palygorskite)复合催化剂.利用X-射线衍射仪(XRD)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)、原子吸收光谱(AAS)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)等技术系统地表征催化剂.之所以能够制备高分散性的凹凸棒负载的磷酸银催化剂,主要是因为凹凸棒具有较大的比表面积、带负电荷界面以及适宜的磷酸根前驱体.以可见光催化脱色降解罗丹明B和氧化降解异丙醇为探针反应,考察复合材料的催化性能.研究表明,与纯磷酸银相比,磷酸银/凹凸棒催化脱色降解罗丹明B和氧化降解异丙醇速率分别提高了2和2.5倍.     

Kinetic and isothermal studies of lead ion adsorption onto palygorskite clay

The use of a natural palygorskite clay for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions for different contact times, pHs of suspension, and amounts and particle sizes of palygorskite clay were investigated. The variations of the pH value of Pb(II) solutions on natural palygorskite in the adsorption process were determined. Batch adsorption kinetic experiments revealed that the adsorption of Pb(II) onto palygorskite clay involved fast and slow processes. It was found that the adsorption mechanisms in the lead/palygorskite system follow pseudo-second-order kinetics with a significant contribution from film diffusion. SEM observations demonstrated that an important interaction at the lead-granule interface occurred during the adsorption process. The adsorption isotherms were described by means of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the Langmuir model represents the adsorption process better than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) onto natural palygorskite was 104.28 mg g(-1).     

Synthesis,characterization of palygorskite supported zero-valent iron and its application for methylene blue adsorption

In this work, natural palygorskite impregnated with zero-valent iron (ZVI) was prepared and characterized. The combination of ZVI particles on surface of fibrous palygorskite can help to overcome the disadvantage of ultra-fine powders which may have strong tendency to agglomerate into larger particles, resulting in an adverse effect on both effective surface area and catalyst performance. There is a significant increase of methylene blue (MB) decolourized efficiency on acid treated palygorskite with ZVI grafted, within 5 min, the concentration of MB in the solution was decreased from 94 mg/L to around 20 mg/L and the equilibration was reached at about 30–60 min with only around 10 mg/L MB remained in solution. Changes in the surface and structure of prepared materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, surface analysing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with element analysis and mapping. Comparing with zero-valent iron and palygorskite, the presence of zero-valent iron reactive species on the palygorskite surface strongly increases the decolourization capacity for methylene blue, and it is significant for providing novel modified clay catalyst materials for the removal of organic contaminants from waste water.     

Visible light induced CO2 reduction and Rh B decolorization over electrostatic-assembled AgBr/palygorskite

AgBr/palygorskite composite was prepared by an in situ electrostatic adsorption-deposition-precipitation method and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflection, and BET surface measurements techniques. The layer negative charge and larger specific surface area of palygorskite, along with the poor cation-exchange ability of tetra-n-butyl ammonium cation (N(CH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(3))(4)(+)) due to its larger ion radius, could mainly account for high dispersity of AgBr on the surface of fibrous palygorskite. The rate of Rh B decolorization and CO(2) reduction with H(2) as a proton donor and reductant over AgBr/palygorskite was about three and two times faster than that of the corresponding bare AgBr, respectively. The strategy reported in this work can be easily extended to synthesize other palygorskite-based heterostructure catalysts.     

Effects of Sodium Salts Organic Acids Modification on the Microstructure and Dispersion Behavior of Palygorskite Nano-Powder via High-Pressure Homogenization Process

High-pressure homogenization could disaggregate the crystal bundles of palygorskite and favor the adsorption of electrolyte ions onto its surface through the produced cavitation, shear, and turbulence forces, and has evident influences on the micromorphologies and properties of clay. In this work, a series of palygorskite samples modified with sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, sodium lactate, sodium acetate, and sodium propionate were obtained under the condition of high-pressure homogenization. The effects of type and concentration of sodium salts organic acids on the microstructure, morphology, surface charge, and physicochemical property of palygorskite were studied through x-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm, field emission scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential, rotational viscosity, and rheological measurements. XRD results confirmed that the crystal structure of homogenized palygorskite was not changed after introduction of sodium salts organic acids, but the aggregates were effectively disaggregated. Modification of palygorskite with sodium citrate made the surface more negatively charged, and the samples exhibited higher specific surface area and rheological properties. This work provided a method to improve the rheological properties of palygorskite suspension through dispersion of clay in sodium citrate solution followed by homogenization at 30 MPa.      

Effect of Solvents Treatment on Microstructure and Dispersion Properties of Palygorskite

Palygorskite was dispersed by various organic solvents and water, and the effects of solvent types on its microstructure, dispersion degree, and colloidal properties were investigated by infrared spectroscopy (IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheological analyses. It was found that dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide molecules may attach onto the surface of palygorskite and cause a complete disappearance of micropores. Solvent parameters govern the dispersion degree of palygorskite, and dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide are good solvents to disperse palygorskite aggregates in contrast to ethanol and isopropanol. Colloidal stability and rheological tests suggested dimethyl sulfoxide-dispersed palygorskite can form more stable suspension with higher shear stress and modulus, but isopropanol-dispersed palygorskite may rapidly subside in suspension and show poor colloidal properties.     

Equilibrium,kinetic, and thermodynamic studies of lead ion adsorption from mine wastewater onto MoS2-clinoptilolite composite

This work explored the potential of clinoptilolite, molybdenum sulphide (MoS₂), and MoS₂-clinoptilolite composite in lead (Pb) removal from aqueous medium and industrial mining wastewater. MoS₂-clinoptilolite composite was successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. The surface properties, structure, and composition of the synthesized composite and the parent compounds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The removal efficiency of lead from aqueous solution was studied in batch-mode experiments. The MoS₂-clinoptilolite was used for the removal of Pb ions (50 mg/L) from an aqueous solution: ~100% of the Pb was removed with a MoS₂-clinoptilolite dose of 0.075 g, pH 6 at 328K within 90 min. The adsorption capacities of Pb onto MoS₂-clinoptilolite were found to be higher than those onto clinoptilolite. Metal ion adsorption behavior was well explained by the Freundlich model, that is, multilayer adsorption of Pb molecules occurred on the heterogeneous surface of adsorbents in case of clinoptilolite, while in the case of MoS₂-clinoptilolite, the Langmuir model was suitable, that is, the adsorption occurred on a monolayer surface. The rate of Pb adsorption was explained by pseudo-second-order model suggesting that the adsorption process is presumably chemisorption. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° were calculated, which indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The selectivity of each adsorbent for Pb was also tested by adding the adsorbents to real gold mine water which contains competitive metal ions.     

Aqueous solubility calculation for petroleum mixtures in soil using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography analysis data

An assessment of aqueous solubility (leaching potential) of soil contaminations with petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is important in the context of the evaluation of (migration) risks and soil/groundwater remediation. Field measurements using monitoring wells often overestimate real TPH concentrations in case of presence of pure oil in the screened interval of the well. This paper presents a method to calculate TPH equilibrium concentrations in groundwater using soil analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography followed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (HPLC-GCXGC). The oil in the soil sample is divided into 79 defined hydrocarbon fractions on two GCXGC color plots. To each of these fractions a representative water solubility is assigned. Overall equilibrium water solubility of the non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) present in the sample and the water phase's chemical composition (in terms of the 79 fractions defined) are then calculated using Raoult's law. The calculation method was validated using soil spiked with 13 different TPH mixtures and 1 field-contaminated soil. Measured water solubilities using a column recirculation equilibration experiment agreed well to calculated equilibrium concentrations and water phase TPH composition.     

Enhanced adsorption of arsenate onto a natural polymer-based sorbent by surface atom transfer radical polymerization

Arsenic contamination in water, especially in groundwater, has been recognized as an important issue of concern because of its high mobility and toxicity. In this study, N-methylglucamine was immobilized onto crosslinked chitosan beads via atom transfer radical polymerization for an efficient adsorption of arsenic. It was demonstrated that the immobilization significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity. The uptake onto the adsorbent was highly pH dependent, and a maximum adsorption capacity as high as 69.28 mg/g was obtained at the optimum pH of 5. Most of arsenate was rapidly adsorbed in the first 5h, and the adsorption equilibrium was established in 16 h, which was well described by an intraparticle diffusion model. The adsorbent exhibited a great uptake of the humic acid, which led to a decrease in the adsorption of arsenate. The effects of competitive anions on the adsorption exhibited the following descending sequence: sulfate ? phosphate>fluoride (negligible effect). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the arsenic adsorption resulted from the presence of tertiary amine and hydroxyl functional groups grafted on the crosslinked chitosan.     

Removal of reactive dye brilliant red HE-3B from aqueous solutions by hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile fibres: equilibrium and kinetics modelling

A cheap and efficient fibrous hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (HPAN) sorbent was obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of Romanian polyacrylonitrile fibres. Scanning electronic microscopy and infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the hydrolyzed product and to confirm its functionalization. The adsorptive potential of the proposed sorbent for reactive dye Brilliant Red HE-3B removal from aqueous solutions of pH=2 was examined by the batch technique as a function of dye concentration, temperature solution and contact time. The Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models were applied to describe equilibrium sorption data and to determine the corresponding isotherm constants. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS were also determined; the values obtained show that sorption of reactive dye on HPAN fibres is a spontaneous, endothermic and entropy-driven process. The kinetics of sorption of the reactive dye were analyzed using pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic models. The kinetic data fitted well to pseudo-second order kinetics, indicating the chemisorption of reactive dye onto the fibrous sorbent. The sorption mechanism of the dye onto hydrolyzed fibres was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The dye-loaded HPAN sorbent can be regenerated by treatment with 0.1M NaOH and the regenerated sorbent may be reused in several adsorption-desorption cycles. The results of this study provided evidence that the HPAN fibres are effective for removing reactive dye Brilliant Red HE-3B from aqueous effluents.      

Determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons in soil from different locations using infrared spectrophotometry and gas chromatography

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) are important environmental contaminants which are toxic to human and environmental receptors. Several analytical methods have been used to quantify TPH levels in contaminated soils, specifically through infrared spectrometry (IR) and gas chromatography (GC). Despite being two of the most used techniques, some issues remain that have been inadequately studied: a) applicability of both techniques to soils contaminated with two distinct types of fuel (petrol and diesel), b) influence of the soil natural organic matter content on the results achieved by various analytical methods, and c) evaluation of the performance of both techniques in analyses of soils with different levels of contamination (presumably non-contaminated and potentially contaminated). The main objectives of this work were to answer these questions and to provide more complete information about the potentials and limitations of GC and IR techniques. The results led us to the following conclusions: a) IR analysis of soils contaminated with petrol is not suitable due to volatilisation losses, b) there is a significant influence of organic matter in IR analysis, and c) both techniques demonstrated the capacity to accurately quantify TPH in soils, irrespective of their contamination levels.     

Microbial dynamics in oil-impacted prairie soil

A remote site in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Osage County, OK) was contaminated with crude oil by a pipeline break in 1992. In 1996, the contaminated soil was bioremediated by blending with uncontaminated soil, prairie hay, buffalo manure, and commercial fertilizers, and spreading in a shallow layer over uncontaminated soil to create a landfarm. The landfarm was monitored for two years for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, soil gases indicative of microbial activity, and for changes in the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Levels of hydrocarbon degraders and soil gas indicators of aerobic degradation were stimulated in the landfarm during the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil. However, these same indicators were less conclusive during the second warm season, indicating depletion of the more easily degradable hydrocarbons, although the landfarm still contained 6,800 mg/kg TPH on the average at the beginning of the second warm season. Methane formation and methanogen counts were clearly stimulated in the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil, in dicating that methanogenesis plays an important role in the mineralization of hydrocarbons even in these shallow soils.     

Adsorption of isoniazid onto sepiolite–palygorskite group of clays: An IR study

The adsorption of isoniazid (INH) on sepiolite, loughlinite (natural Na-sepiolite) and palygorskite from Anatolia was investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy. Experimental results indicated that INH molecules, adsorbed on sepiolite–palygorskite group of clays, are coordinated to surface hydroxyls by H-bonding interaction through the pyridine ring nitrogen lone pairs. Moreover, some of the adsorbed INH molecules may enter the interior channels of the sepiolite–palygorskite structure and involve H-bonding interaction with zeolitic water. Some intensity and frequency changes in the OH stretching band of surface hydroxyls (Si–OH) of the INH-treated sepiolite and loughlinite were observed. However, this band is found to be less affected by the adsorption of isoniazid in the case of palygorskite, probably because the surface Si–OH groups in palygorskite appear to be less abundant than in sepiolite or loughlinite.     

Surfactant-enhanced remediation of organic contaminated soil and water

Surfactant based remediation technologies for organic contaminated soil and water (groundwater or surface water) is of increasing importance recently. Surfactants are used to dramatically expedite the process, which in turn, may reduce the treatment time of a site compared to use of water alone. In fact, among the various available remediation technologies for organic contaminated sites, surfactant based process is one of the most innovative technologies. To enhance the application of surfactant based technologies for remediation of organic contaminated sites, it is very important to have a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in this process. This paper will provide an overview of the recent developments in the area of surfactant enhanced soil and groundwater remediation processes, focusing on (i) surfactant adsorption on soil, (ii) micellar solubilization of organic hydrocarbons, (iii) supersolubilization, (iv) density modified displacement, (v) degradation of organic hydrocarbon in presence surfactants, (vi) partitioning of surfactants onto soil and liquid organic phase, (vii) partitioning of contaminants onto soil, and (viii) removal of organics from soil in presence of surfactants. Surfactant adsorption on soil and/or sediment is an important step in this process as it results in surfactant loss reduced the availability of the surfactants for solubilization. At the same time, adsorbed surfactants will retained in the soil matrix, and may create other environmental problem. The biosurfactants are become promising in this application due to their environmentally friendly nature, nontoxic, low adsorption on to soil, and good solubilization efficiency. Effects of different parameters like the effect of electrolyte, pH, soil mineral and organic content, soil composition etc. on surfactant adsorption are discussed here. Micellar solubilization is also an important step for removal of organic contaminants from the soil matrix, especially for low aqueous solubility organic contaminants. Influences of different parameters such as single and mixed surfactant system, hydrophilic and hydrophobic chain length, HLB value, temperature, electrolyte, surfactant type that are very important in micellar solubilization are reviewed here. Microemulsion systems show higher capacity of organic hydrocarbons solubilization than the normal micellar system. In the case of biodegradation of organic hydrocarbons, the rate is very slow due to low water solubility and dissolution rate but the presence of surfactants may increase the bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds by solubilization and hence increases the degradation rate. In some cases the presence of it also reduces the rate. In addition to fundamental studies, some laboratory and field studies on removal of organics from contaminated soil are also reviewed to show the applicability of this technology.     

Isotherms,kinetics, and thermodynamics of boron adsorption on fibrous polymeric chelator containing glycidol moiety optimized with response surface method

A fibrous boron chelator containing glycidol moiety (PE/PP-g-PVAm-G) was prepared by radiation induced grafting of N-vinylformamide (NVF) onto polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) non-woven sheet followed by hydrolysis and immobilization of glycidol moiety. The glycidol density was controlled by optimization of the reaction parameters using the Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM). The properties of the PE/PP-g-PVAm-G were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). A maximum glycidol density yield of 5.0 mmol·g⁻¹ was obtained with 11.8 vol%, 78.9 °C and 109.4 min for glycidol concentration, reaction temperature and time, respectively. The isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamic behavior of boron adsorption on the optimized chelator were investigated. The boron adsorption was pH-dependent and attained a maximum adsorption capacity of 25.7 mg·g⁻¹. The equilibrium isotherm proceeded by Redlich–Peterson model whereas the kinetics was best expressed by the pseudo-second-order equation. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that boron adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous. The fibrous chelator demonstrated high boron selectivity and strong resistance to foreign ions with uncompromised regeneration efficiency after five adsorption/desorption cycles. The PE/PP-g-PVAm-G chelator seems to be very promising for boron removal from aqueous media.     

Palygorskite organophilic for dermopharmaceutical application

Due to the growing interest of the population in natural treatments, the clays represent a good alternative to the treatment of wounds. Its modification by organophilization happens when the same inorganic cations are exchanged for organic cations of the surfactant used in the process. Thus, the clay has the properties of its surface modified from being hydrophilic to hydrophobic, improving its functionality on the skin. In order to determine changes in surface palygorskite and to assess its healing action, this clay was organophilizated by two cationic surfactants: dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride alkyl, and cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, and characterized by sieve analysis, property flow, test oil adsorption, and the techniques of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, infrared Fourier transform, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning calorimetry—differential and histological of cutaneous wounds in rats. The results indicate that the attapulgite has good rheological properties, a high capacity of adsorption of oil, and the presence of clay minerals that reduce inflammation. The analysis by X-ray fluorescence is not observing any change in the crystal structure of palygorskite organophilizated but through infrared spectroscopy Fourier transform, verifying the interaction and incorporation of the clay ammonium salts, as well as thermoanalytical analysis also suggests that the organophilic process reduces the hydrophilic character of palygorskite. The histological analysis showed healing effect after topical application of natural and organophilizated clay in skin wounds in rats. These analyses favor a good prospect of its application in dermopharmaceuticals, because the use of palygorskite provides greater interaction with skin and heals wounds.     

Removal of Evans Blue by using Nickel-Iron Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) Nanoparticles: Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment Temperature on Textural Properties and Dye Adsorption

Summary: The use of low-cost adsorbent has been investigated as a replacement for the current expensive methods of removing dyes from wastewater. The sorption of acid dye (Evans Blue) from aqueous effluents onto anionic clays (hydrotalcite-like) has been studied. Hydrotalcite may be an effective adsorbent of organic molecules due to its hydrophobic nature and the accessibility of its interlayer region. Ni/Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH), with a molar ratio of 3, were synthesised by coprecipitation followed by hydrothermal treatment at different temperatures (85, 100 and 140 °C) for 4 days. The materials were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption-desorption (BET). The diffractograms and FT-IR spectroscopy of the fresh materials showed that the hydrotalcite is present in all samples. The XRD pattern obtained was typical of a hydrotalcite, where the interlayer anion is CO, XRD and Infrared spectroscopy complemented each other by showing that with treatment the degree of order increased regardless of the type of treatment. Furthermore, it was shown that aging at increased temperature and pressure increased crystallinity. TEM showed that crystal size increased with aging temperature, so that growth occurred on the edges resulting in the formation of hexagonal plate shaped hydrotalcite crystals. The surface area decreased with increasing the hydrothermal treatment temperature. The effects of various parameters such as hydrothermal treatment temperature, crystallite size, contact time and calcination on the extent of adsorption were investigated. The studies of the removal efficiency of the reactive textile dye: Evans Blue (Direct Blue 53) by NiFeCO₃ HDLs showed that the effect of hydrothermal treatment temperature on adsorption increases with aging temperature. The Evans Blue (EB) removal percent increased with increasing contact time. Above the 70%, 50% and 20% of EB adsorption occurred in the first 2 min for HDL-140, HDL-100 and HDL-85°C respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the calcined materials are much more effective than the original LDH in removing Evans Bleu dye from an aqueous solution.     

Local structure of the zeolitic catalytically active site during reaction

The structural changes of the catalytic active site that occur during catalytic reaction in an acidic zeolite are detected. The local structure of the zeolitic Br?nsted active site is a distorted tetrahedrally coordinated aluminum that has three short and one long aluminum-oxygen bond. Using in situ Al K edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the adsorption of a reactive intermediate in the oligomerization of ethene changed the local structure of the catalytic active site; the long aluminum oxygen bond is partially relaxed. At increasingly higher temperature, extensive coking of the catalyst frees the Br?nsted acid site from the reactive intermediate, restoring the asymmetric coordination. These measurements show that application of in situ Al K edge spectroscopy provides fundamental insight into the structure of zeolitic catalytically active sites during catalytic action.     

Synthesis of cell-penetrated nitrogen-doped carbon dots by hydrothermal treatment of eggplant sepals

Novel nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots were successfully fabricated by a hydrothermal method with eggplant sepals as carbon source. The carbon materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis adsorption, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), fluorescence and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, respectively. The carbon quantum dots showed excellent photoluminescence property with high stability in phosphate buffer solution with different pH values from 5 to 9, even in the cell culture medium supplied with the fetal bovine serum. Meanwhile, we also studied the interaction of carbon quantum dots with living HeLa cells with confocal microscopy. Our results indicated that the carbon quantum dots can enter the living HeLa cells by cellular penetration.