Luminescent carbon dots assembled into mesoporous aluminas for oxygen sensing

As a result of hydrogen-band interactions, blue-light-emitting luminescent carbon dots (CDs) synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal treatment were successfully assembled into mesoporous aluminas (MAs). Blue-light-emitting CDs/MAs compounds with mesoporous structures, narrow pore size distribution, high thermal stability, and large surface areas were obtained. Furthermore, the obtained CDs/MAs compounds possessed high sensitivity and selectivity for oxygen, and excellent photochemical stability. The assembled compounds can potentially be applied to oxygen sensing. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America