Carbon dots, an emerging class within the carbon allotrope family, have gained significant attention largely due to their versatile and tunable physico-chemical and optical properties. These quasi-spherical carbon nanomaterials, less than 10 nm in size, can be prepared using numerous synthesis strategies resulting in unique properties that can be exploited for a myriad of applications. This review examines the bottom-up synthesis of these dots with a focus on their microwave-assisted synthesis, which can be used to prepare hydrophilic, hydrophobic or even amphiphilic carbon dots. It also investigates their application to multiple fields including sensing, bioimaging, solar cells and catalysis. Finally, a discussion of the challenges and perspectives are provided.
