Cadmium based quantum dots (QDs) are amongst the most studied nanomaterials due to their excellent photophysical properties which can be controlled by controlling size and/or composition of the nanocrystal. However,...
Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile fluorescent nanocrystals
with unique
optical and structural properties and are commonly used in biosensing,
bioimaging, and biomolecule tagging studies. However, fluorescence
of CDs is brightest in the wavelength range of 430–530 nm,
which overlaps with the autofluorescence range of many eukaryotic
cells and makes CDs impractical for in vivo and in vitro imaging studies.
Thus, the design of yellow-red emissive CDs with high quantum yield
is of importance. In this study, the quantum yield of traditional
yellow emissive CDs was enhanced by two different methods: (1) the
surface of traditional yellow emissive CDs passivated with a biomolecule,
urea, through easy, rapid, inexpensive microwave assisted synthesis
methods and (2) a fluorescent biomolecule, aflatoxin B1, used as an
energy donor for yellow emissive CDs. In the first method, the quantum
yield of the CDs was enhanced to 51%. In the second method, an efficient
energy transfer (above 40%) from aflatoxin B1 to the CDs was observed.
Our study showed that highly luminescent yellow emissive CDs can be
synthesized by simple, rapid microwave assisted synthesis methods,
and these CDs are potential candidates to sense aflatoxin B1. Furthermore,
our results indicated that Aflatoxin B1 can be considered as an emission
booster for CDs.
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