Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Chuqiao Wu, Shuting Zhang, Yuhui Zheng, Aiqi Wang, Qiming Zhao, Wenjie Sun, Wanqiang Liu, Chenggang Long, Qianming Wang
Summary: In this article, a solvent-type passivation (STP) strategy is introduced to achieve better control and reproducibility of sulfur dots by using short-chain molecular species instead of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the capping agent. The strategy does not require PEG or any other capping agent, and the surface defects of sulfur dots are passivated by sodium ethoxide generated through the direct reaction of ethanol with NaOH. The sulfur dots obtained through this strategy show self-quenching resistant feature in the solid state and an extended fluorescence band up to 645 nm.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raphael de Boever, Jason R. Town, Xu Li, Jerome P. Claverie
Summary: This review critically evaluates fundamental questions regarding carbon dots (CDs), including their definition and the origin of their emissive properties. Lay persons will also find an alternative introduction to the CDs domain, including synthetic strategies, photophysical properties, as well as challenges and outlook of this exciting new area.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huaijun Tang, Qiuhong Chen, Guoyun Meng, Shiyou Lu, Jing Qin, Kaixin Yang, Long Gao, Zhengliang Wang, Yonghui He
Summary: Developing rare-earth-free (even metal-free) luminescent materials as phosphors for LEDs is of great significance due to the scarcity, cost, and unsustainability of rare-earth elements. A graphitic-C3N4 derivative containing heptazines merged with phenyls was synthesized via thermal polymerization of melamine and quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione. The resulting product showed improved photoluminescent properties, with a change in emission color from blue to green, an increase in maximum emission wavelength, and an increase in PL quantum yield. Purification through vacuum sublimation resulted in a yellowish green emission product with high thermal stability and low thermal quenching. This product was used as a phosphor in white LEDs, which exhibited good performance with high-efficiency and quasi-green emission.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
B. N. Kumara, Palraj Kalimuthu, K. . S. Prasad
Summary: Photoluminescent-carbon nanoparticles (PL-CNPs) have attracted significant interest due to their distinct characteristics, including photoluminescence, high surface-to-volume ratio, low cost, ease of synthesis, high quantum yield, and biocompatibility. They have been extensively studied for their utility in various applications such as sensors, photocatalysts, bio-imaging probes, and optoelectronics. However, some PL-CNPs face limitations in their properties and selectivity, hindering their widespread application. To overcome these challenges, researchers have focused on developing new PL-CNPs with better properties and selectivity using different composite combinations. This review discusses the recent advancements in synthetic strategies, doping effects, photostability, biocompatibility, and applications of PL-CNPs in sensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery, as well as their limitations, future directions, and potential applications.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Siwei Yang, Yongqiang Li, Liangfeng Chen, Hang Wang, Liuyang Shang, Peng He, Hui Dong, Gang Wang, Guqiao Ding
Summary: The discovery of carbon-based quantum dots (CQDs) has opened up opportunities for various applications such as fluorescence bioimaging and tumor diagnosis. However, existing reviews have focused primarily on the applications rather than the formation mechanism of CQDs. This review provides a summary of the relationships between the intrinsic properties of building blocks and the photoluminescence properties of CQDs, with a focus on the bottom-up approach and the influence of different descriptors such as topology, chirality, and free radical process.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Varsha Lisa John, Francis Joy, Amy Jose Kollannoor, Kuruvilla Joseph, Yamuna Nair, T. P. Vinod
Summary: This study reports a novel synthesis route for preparing carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with customized surface functionality. By chemically modifying paper precursors and tethering amine groups on the paper substrates, CQDs with amine functional groups on the surface can be synthesized. The amine functionalization on the surface of CQDs enables their applications in DNA binding, suggesting their potential as efficient biological probes.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilia Litvinov, Anna Salova, Nikolay Aksenov, Elena Kornilova, Tatiana Belyaeva
Summary: In this study, the photophysical characteristics of core/shell InP/ZnS quantum dots (InP-QDs) were analyzed in cell culture medium, salt solutions, and directly in the cells. It was found that InP-QDs were internalized into endolysosomes in HeLa and A549 cells with similar dynamics to Cd-based QDs, but the two cell lines accumulated them differently. InP-QDs were reliably detected in the endosomes despite their low quantum yields. Factors such as cell culture medium, acidic pH, and salt solutions were found to affect the photoluminescence lifetime of InP-QDs. The scatter between endosomes in the same cell was observed, indicating the complex impact of these factors on the state of InP-QDs. The toxicity of InP-QDs for both cell lines at concentrations higher than 20 nM was demonstrated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Likang Zhang, Xue Yang, Zhifu Yin, Linlin Sun
Summary: This review provides an overview of the characteristics, synthesis methods, major applications, and future prospects of carbon quantum dots (CQDs).
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Koushik Mondal, Ashim Pramanik, Tapashree Mondal, Sujit Sankar Panja, Rajat Sarkar, Pathik Kumbhakar
Summary: This study reports the aggregation-induced enhancement (AIE) of photo-luminescence quantum yield (PLQY) in the N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)-stabilized Au nanocluster (AuNC) system, from 12.5% to 51%. The self-assembling of AuNCs and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique were utilized to design a white LED (WLED) with CIE coordinates of (0.35, 0.29). The performance of the WLED was further improved by optimizing the components and incorporating nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQD).
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu Yao, Huayang Zhang, Kunsheng Hu, Gang Nie, Yangyang Yang, Yuxian Wang, Xiaoguang Duan, Shaobin Wang
Summary: Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have unique physicochemical properties and find extensive applications in sensing, biomedical, optoelectronic and catalysis fields. As photocatalysts, CQDs show promising potential in energy and environmental applications, such as wastewater treatment and solar energy conversion. This comprehensive review provides new insights and inspiration in the synthesis, improvement, and photocatalytic applications of CQDs.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thomas C. Wareing, Piergiorgio Gentile, Anh N. Phan
Summary: Carbon dots are regarded as a solution to the challenges faced by semiconductor quantum dots due to their high biocompatibility and ability to be synthesized from abundant and non-toxic biomass materials. In the biomedical field, biomass-based carbon dots hold great potential for research, especially in terms of synthesis and application, showing promising future development prospects.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qing Zhang, Fengqing Wang, Ruoyu Wang, Junlan Liu, Yupengxue Ma, Xiaoru Qin, Xiaoxia Zhong
Summary: Fluorescence mechanism of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) is still uncertain and controversial. This study demonstrates that the protonation of amino groups increases the particle surface potential and disperses bulk sediments into nano-scale CDs. Moreover, the protonation of pyridinic nitrogen structures induces NIR fluorescence emission on CDs by narrowing the gap distance for photon transition. This research provides insights into activating CDs reaction sediments and triggering NIR emission, offering potential for developing CDs with ideal optical properties.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Youliang Cheng, Ying Wei, Changqing Fang, Jing Chen, Weina Zhao
Summary: CQDs/Ag NPs composites were successfully synthesized via the in-situ method assisted by UV light irradiation, with a diameter ranging from 20-28 nm and an expanded absorption band for visible light up to 450 nm. The composites exhibited better antibacterial properties compared to silver nitrate and solo Ag NPs solutions.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Cheng Wang, Zhongshan Lu, Ming Song, Jiawen Zhou, Xianhui Chen, Yan Zheng, Weidong Xia
Summary: By varying pressure and carbon precursor, the properties of nitrogen-doped graphene nanoflakes can be controlled, but this also affects the defects and specific surface area of the products. The nitrogen doping level and nitrogen configuration are mainly influenced by the choice of carbon precursor.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yijiang Chen, Shan Yu, Yunqian Zhong, Yi Wang, Jiale Ye, Ying Zhou
Summary: This study constructed an indium phosphide quantum dot and carbon quantum dot hybrid system and applied it in photocatalytic hydrogen production. The results showed that the hybrid system had a 2.1 times higher photocatalytic performance compared to the indium phosphide quantum dots alone. The introduction of carbon quantum dots improved the separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers and reduced the repulsion between the catalyst and reaction substrate, promoting the surface oxidation reaction in the photocatalytic process.