Porous Materials Fabricated by Carbon Dots

Abstract

Porous materials (PMs) are a class of special materials characterized by their internal pore network structures, which afford them a larger specific surface area and a greater number of accessible active sites. Consequently, they find widespread applications in catalysis, energy storage and conversion, etc. Carbon dots (CDs), an emerging class of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, possess highly cross-linked or carbonized cores along with abundant surface functional groups. The precursors of CDs are diverse and cost-effective, allowing for the tailoring of specific structures through controlled reaction conditions. Initially, CDs were extensively utilized in bioimaging and fluorescence detection due to their characteristic photoluminescence properties. However, in recent years, a substantial body of research has focused on employing CDs as fundamental building blocks or modifying species to fabricate various PMs, with experimental evidence underscoring their significant role. In this review, PMs are categorized into porous carbons, porous inorganic materials, and porous gel materials based on their fundamental constituents. We summarize recent advances in PMs constructed by CDs, with a particular emphasis on the influence of CDs regarding the morphology and pore structure of these materials, as well as the underlying mechanisms. This systematic overview aims to provide new insights into the design of porous materials and the multifunctional applications of CDs.