Issue 13, 2019

Tuning the fluorescence performance of carbon dots with a reduction pathway

Abstract

A reduction pathway was developed to tune the fluorescence quantum yield (QY) and emission wavelength of carbon dots (CDs). Reducing the original CDs (QY ca. 1.55%, maximum emission ca. 520 nm) with NaBH4 increased QY to 7.25% and blue-shifted the maximum emission to 450 nm. Treating the original CDs with LiAlH4 increased QY to ca. 7.44% and blue-shifted the maximum emission to 345 nm. The distinct fluorescence characteristics of the original CDs, NaBH4-treated CDs, and LiAlH4-treated CDs were conferred by their differing surface groups. Moreover, the original CDs, NaBH4-treated CDs, and LiAlH4-treated CDs responded differently to a specific oxidizer of hydroxyl groups. The increase in the fluorescence QY and blue-shift of the emission wavelength were explained. This study provides a foundation for the preparation and tuning of CDs with excellent fluorescence performance, as well as for the development CD-based fluorescent probes.

Graphical abstract: Tuning the fluorescence performance of carbon dots with a reduction pathway

  • This article is part of the themed collection: Nanocarbons

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 noy 2018
Accepted
11 mar 2019
First published
12 mar 2019

Nanoscale, 2019,11, 5998-6003

Tuning the fluorescence performance of carbon dots with a reduction pathway

D. Shen, Y. Long, J. Wang, Y. Yu, J. Pi, L. Yang and H. Zheng, Nanoscale, 2019, 11, 5998 DOI: 10.1039/C8NR09587F

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