Surface functional carbon dots: chemical engineering applications beyond optical properties

Abstract

As an emerging carbon material, carbon dots (CDs) have received extensive attention in recent years. Since CDs have excellent optical properties, most reports on carbon dots focus on the research...

Engineering at Subatomic Scale: Achieving Selective Catalytic Pathways via Tuning of the Oxidation States in Functionalized Single‐Atom Quantum Catalysts

“…Thinking of alternative supports, one such support with the most interesting surface and quantum properties is carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with multiple functional moieties at the surface, such as amines, hydroxyl, and carboxylic groups in addition to an electron-rich matrix. [24,25] A 0D support like CQDs, upon doping with transition-based d-block elements could sway the electronic properties of the support in the favor of desired catalytic efficiencies due to the electron transfer properties at a more pronounced quantum confinement level of CQDs than ordinary carbon supports or other carbon-based nanomaterials, while the dopant itself might impart desirable electronic properties within graphene-like frameworks, such as generation of defects, oxygen vacancies and alteration of the electronic charge transfer pathways through attenuation of the whole electronic structure by modifying the ratios of differently-bonded carbon and nitrogen species within the complex graphitic matrix. [26][27][28][29] This kind of renovation of the structure could offer the possibility of oxidation state engineering of the incorporated dopants within the carbon structure.…”

Recent Advances in the Application and Mechanism of Carbon Dots/Metal‐Organic Frameworks Hybrids in Photocatalysis and the Detection of Environmental Pollutants

“…[9] Among many encapsulated luminescent materials, CDs have attracted an ever-increasing attention as a result of their unique optical properties, good water solubility and biocompatibility, easy surface functionalization, fast photo-generated electron transfer performance and wide application prospects. [10] CDs are not perfect materials, it is difficult for a single carbon dot to fully play to its excellent physicochemical properties, and CDs are prone to aggregation-induced quenching at high concentrations, all of which limit the further application of CDs. [11] The results show that when CDs are encapsulated in the voids of the porous material, the movement of CDs can be effectively suppressed, so that the aggregation of CDs can be effectively reduced, thereby improving its optical performance.…”

“…Until now, many researchers have constructed many different MOF composites with great pains, such as organic dyes (Dye@MOFs), [6] noble metal nanoparticles (NPs@MOFs), [7] quantum dots (QDs@MOFs), [8] carbon dots (CDs@MOFs) [9] . Among many encapsulated luminescent materials, CDs have attracted an ever‐increasing attention as a result of their unique optical properties, good water solubility and biocompatibility, easy surface functionalization, fast photo‐generated electron transfer performance and wide application prospects [10] . CDs are not perfect materials, it is difficult for a single carbon dot to fully play to its excellent physicochemical properties, and CDs are prone to aggregation‐induced quenching at high concentrations, all of which limit the further application of CDs [11] .…”

Additive-Free All-Carbon Composite: A Two-Photon Material System for Nanopatterning of Fluorescent Sub-Wavelength Structures

“…Further, synthesis of semiconductor quantum dots involves the use of compounds containing heavy metals, which are toxic and thereby pose severe restrictions of their use in biomedical and clinical applications . Carbon dots (CDs) offers facile synthesis − and surface engineering options to tune optical and chemical properties, along with large nonlinear optical activity. − As compared to conventional photoinitiators/dyes, CDs offer superior nonlinear activity and can be synthesized with ease using simple and cost-effective methods. These inherent benefits offered by CDs make them potential candidates toward the development of a two-photon patternable material system.…”