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International audience; A novel sensing system was designed for pH measurements based on the enhanced and quenched photoluminescence (PL) and UV–Vis absorption of the diluted water solutions of F-, O-, and N-containing carbon nanoparticles (FON-CNPs). These FON-CNPs were solvothermally synthesized, dissolved, ultra-filtrated, and separated by thin-layer chromatography. The total fluorine content in them was found to be 1.2–1.5 mmol per gram. Their TGA showed a total weight loss of 52.7% because of the thermal decomposition and detachment of the surface groups and the partial burning of the functionalized shell on the carbon core at temperatures below 1200 °C. TEM and Raman data confirmed the presence of graphitic structures in the carbon core. From the results of ATR FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopies, we showed that a carbon shell incorporates different functional groups covering the carbon core. The surface groups of the carbon shell include carboxyl, phenolic, and carbonyl groups. Heterocyclic N-containing and amino groups and trifluoromethyl groups supporting the hydrophobicity were also found. We suggested the possible reasons for the pH responses obtained with the sensing system considering them dependent on the de-protonation of functional groups with pH change.