Thermal Conversion of Achillea Maritima Biomass Into Dual-Functional Carbon Quantum Dots for Antioxidant Activity and Methylene Blue Removal

Abstract

Extensive studies have been conducted on multidisciplinary applications of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in biomedical and environmental science. In this study, we developed a sustainable synthesis for biomass (Achillea maritima (AM) extract) derived-CQDs, incorporating AI-based characterization. We investigated the antioxidant properties and adsorption performance of AM-CQDs against methylene blue (MB). By integrating environmental factors into the optimization, we achieved control over the synthesis of the AM-CQDs. The AM-CQDs demonstrated notable antioxidant capacity with values as follows: CUPRAC assay: 35.76 +/- 0.52, ABTS/HRP assay: 21.95 +/- 0.31, DPPH assay: 6.13 +/- 0.08, and Folin assay: 40.26 +/- 0.57. To further assess their antioxidant performance with a comprehensive evaluation, various kinetic model parameters were calculated using the results from the CUPRAC, ABTS/HRP, DPPH, and Folin assays. The adsorption efficiency of the AM-CQDs was evaluated by measuring their capacity to remove MB. The AM-CQDs exhibited remarkable efficiency with a %uptake 64.82, highlighting their potential as an effective adsorbent for MB removal. Overall, this study highlights AM-CQDs' synthesis and their multifunctional properties as efficient antioxidants and adsorbents for removing MB. The AM-CQDs demonstrate high efficacy in both applications, positioning them as promising candidates for environmental remediation and biomedical applications.