On-Off-On Fluorescent Potential Progesterone Detection Using N-Doped Carbon Dots from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

Elvina Dhiaul Iftitah; Diah Mardiana; Amalia Indah Anindia Darmawan; Aura Putri Farisca

doi:10.14710/jksa.29.8.545-553

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jksa.29.8.545-553

On-Off-On Fluorescent Potential Progesterone Detection Using N-Doped Carbon Dots from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch

Elvina Dhiaul Iftitah , Diah Mardiana

, Amalia Indah Anindia Darmawan, Aura Putri Farisca

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Technology, and Mathematics, Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia

Received: 12 Jun 2026; Revised: 19 Sep 2026; Accepted: 21 Sep 2026; Published: 30 Sep 2026.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{JKSA85539,
    author = {Elvina Dhiaul Iftitah and Diah Mardiana and Amalia Indah Anindia Darmawan and Aura Putri Farisca},
    title = {On-Off-On Fluorescent Potential Progesterone Detection Using N-Doped Carbon Dots from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch},
    journal = {Jurnal Kimia Sains dan Aplikasi},
  volume = {29},
    number = {8},
    year = {2026},
    keywords = {progesterone; carbon dots; oil palm empty fruit bunch; fluorescence biosensing; hydrogen peroxide},
    abstract = {Progesterone is an important steroid hormone involved in reproductive regulation and hormonal homeostasis, making its accurate determination essential for clinical and biomedical applications. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) were synthesized from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) waste using o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) via a hydrothermal method and applied as a fluorescent biosensor for progesterone detection. Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted significant interest as fluorescent nanomaterials due to their excellent optical properties, stability, and biocompatibility. The synthesis condition of N- CDs was 180°C for 4 h, producing N-CDs with an average hydrodynamic size of 5.04 nm based on DLS analysis, while LR-TEM analysis showed individual N- CDs with an average size of 3.6 nm. The N-CDs exhibited good stability under pH 6–7. The sensing mechanism relied on a fluorescence on–off–on system involving N-CDs, H 2 O 2 , and progesterone, in which H 2 O 2  quenched fluorescence via photoinduced electron transfer (PET), while progesterone restored the signal by inhibiting electron transfer. The developed sensor exhibited a linear response over the range of 20–100 nM, with an R 2  of 0.9956 and an LOD of 5.827 nM. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited recovery in fetal bovine serum (132.41% and 73.98%) with RSD values below 1%, demonstrating its potential as a simple and sensitive platform for progesterone detection in complex biological samples.},
   issn = {2597-9914},   pages = {545--553}  doi = {10.14710/jksa.29.8.545-553},
    url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/ksa/article/view/85539}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Progesterone is an important steroid hormone involved in reproductive regulation and hormonal homeostasis, making its accurate determination essential for clinical and biomedical applications. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) were synthesized from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) waste using o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) via a hydrothermal method and applied as a fluorescent biosensor for progesterone detection. Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted significant interest as fluorescent nanomaterials due to their excellent optical properties, stability, and biocompatibility. The synthesis condition of N- CDs was 180°C for 4 h, producing N-CDs with an average hydrodynamic size of 5.04 nm based on DLS analysis, while LR-TEM analysis showed individual N- CDs with an average size of 3.6 nm. The N-CDs exhibited good stability under pH 6–7. The sensing mechanism relied on a fluorescence on–off–on system involving N-CDs, H₂O₂, and progesterone, in which H₂O₂ quenched fluorescence via photoinduced electron transfer (PET), while progesterone restored the signal by inhibiting electron transfer. The developed sensor exhibited a linear response over the range of 20–100 nM, with an R² of 0.9956 and an LOD of 5.827 nM. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited recovery in fetal bovine serum (132.41% and 73.98%) with RSD values below 1%, demonstrating its potential as a simple and sensitive platform for progesterone detection in complex biological samples.

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Keywords: progesterone; carbon dots; oil palm empty fruit bunch; fluorescence biosensing; hydrogen peroxide

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Section: Research Articles

Language : EN

In Vol 29, No 8 (2026): Volume 29 Issue 8 Year 2026

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