Coal-based carbon quantum dots as plant growth promoters for empowering plant productivity: a sustainable nano-solution

Vikaskumar Gond, Anupama Singh, Puja Khare and Binoy K. Saikia

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2026, 13, 389
DOI: 10.1039/D5EN00938C

Electrochemical determination of dopamine using a flower-derived carbon quantum dots/polydopamine composite film modified electrode

Tanu Patel, Surendar Balu, Dhanraj Ganapathy and Ashok K. Sundramoorthy

Anal. Methods, 2026, 18, 423
DOI: 10.1039/D5AY01457C

Pumpkin-waste-derived copper quantum dots: green synthesis, underlying mechanism, and multifunctional applications in catalysis, antioxidants, and bioimaging

Lamis Dayoub, Xiaoxuan Li, Xuewen Peng, Wajeeha Pervaiz, Shoulei Yan and Yiping Chen

Nanoscale Adv., 2025, 7, 7705
DOI: 10.1039/D5NA00813A

LaMer-model-based synthesis method for fine particles of octacalcium phosphate and related functional compounds

Taishi Yokoi, Tomoyo Goto, Tohru Sekino, Tomoka Hasegawa, Peng Chen, Hiroyasu Kanetaka, Kaname Yoshida, Masaya Shimabukuro and Masakazu Kawashita

CrystEngComm, 2024, 26, 6008
DOI: 10.1039/D4CE00663A

Highly selective sensing of tetracycline by fluorescent carbon dots derived from spent coffee grounds via a green microwave route

Haochen Shen, Ying Chu, Ziyi Liu, Chuhan Zhang, Yang Yu and Shaohui Yang

RSC Adv., 2026, 16, 797
DOI: 10.1039/D5RA07629C

Tunable photoluminescence of biomass-derived amine-functionalized fluorescent CQD nanotrackers and biocompatible imaging capabilities for zebrafish embryogenesis

Thangamani Suppan, Sankarganesh Jeyaraj, Seshan Sivasankar and Moorthi Pichumani

Bioresource Technology, 2025, 438, 133225
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.133225

Blue florescent carbon nanoparticles as sensor probe and paper based microfluidic device for Hg2+ ion detection.

Ranjeeta Singh, Sanjyokta Borah, Unmilita Phukan, Prianku Pratim Neog, Dhrubajit Borah, Dipjyoti Dutta, Akash Bose, Jayanta Kumar Sarmah and Rekha Rani Dutta

Diamond and Related Materials, 2025, 154, 112158
DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2025.112158

Green Synthesis of Multi-Functional Carbon Dots and their Applications

Shubhrat Maheshwari, Amita Verma and Aditya Singh

CTC, 2025, 05
DOI: 10.2174/0129504023374533250304072612

Exploration of value-added soybean oil cake based carbon quantum dots for in-vitro biomedical applications

Godwin Daniel Thomas Raj S, J. Judith Vijaya, Albin John P Paul Winston, Mohamed K M, K. Akash and Albin Shibu

Journal of Molecular Structure, 2025, 1322, 140447
DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.140447

A new carbon quantum dot obtained from acerola (Malpighia glabra) seed waste and its application as a corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in hydrochloric acid

Victor Magno Paiva, Sanair Massafra de Oliveira, Agnes Candido Teixeira, Jairo Eduardo Leiva Mateus, Clara Muniz da Silva de Almeida, Joyce Rodrigues de Araújo, Marcelo Eduardo Huguenin Maia da Costa, Natasha Midori Suguihiro and Eliane D'Elia

Biomass and Bioenergy, 2025, 203, 108264
DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108264

Lignocellulosic Biomass Inspired Fabrication of Carbon Quantum Dots for Biomedical and Environmental Applications: A Review

Manikant Tripathi, Swarnlata Bansal, Subhash C. Tripathi, Rajeev Singh, Tripti Singh, Safia Obaidur Rab, Neha Srivastava and Vijai Kumar Gupta

Waste Biomass Valor, 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s12649-025-03337-6

Carbon dots as smart biosensing and imaging materials delving with antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral potentials against infectious pathogens

Debashis Tripathy, Sagar Kumar Mishra, Satyabrata Sahu, Arpit Katiyar, Neeraj Kumar, Tankadhar Mishra, Sribatsa Lanchhana Dash, Maya Datt Joshi, Prasanna Kumar Dixit and Manoj Kumar Sarangi

J Chinese Chemical Soc, 2025, 72, 163
DOI: 10.1002/jccs.202400372

Carbon Quantum Dots: Green Catalysts for Organic Synthesis

Shubhrat Maheshwari, Amita Verma and Aditya Singh

CMIC, 2025, 12, 116
DOI: 10.2174/0122133356368085250304074014

Turning trash into tech: sustainable graphene production from biowaste

Tahira Abbasi, Sirajul Haq, Farid Menaa, Jamoliddin Razzokov, Noureddine Elboughdiri, Djamel Ghernaout, Fatemeh Zanbili, Ahmad Poursattar Marjani, Hanadi Abdulaziz Almukhlifi, Sohad Abdulkaleg Alshareef and Mir Waqas Alam

Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures, 2025, 1
DOI: 10.1080/1536383X.2025.2564687

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Carbon Quantum Dot (CQD) Modified TiO2 Nanocomposites for Organic Dye Degradation

Yunus Emre Toprak, Soner Çubuk and M. Vezir Kahraman

ChemistrySelect, 2026, 11
DOI: 10.1002/slct.202507129

Sustainable carbon dots: insights into synthesis methods, properties, and diverse applications

Mohammed Ali Khan, Akshatha R Shetty, Ganesha Aroor and Meghana K Navada

Nanocomposites, 2026, 12, 1
DOI: 10.1080/20550324.2026.2631313

Microwave-assisted synthesis of Ni-doped carbon from bio-waste as a cost-effective electrocatalyst for effective and sustainable water electrolysis

Ranjan S. Shetti, Sonali M. Shetti, Madasu Sreenivasulu, Khuloud A. Alibrahim, Abdullah N. Alodhayb and Nagaraj P. Shetti

Materials Today Sustainability, 2025, 32, 101236
DOI: 10.1016/j.mtsust.2025.101236

Integration of Functional Materials in Photonic and Optoelectronic Technologies for Advanced Medical Diagnostics

Naveen Thanjavur, Laxmi Bugude and Young-Joon Kim

Biosensors, 2025, 15, 38
DOI: 10.3390/bios15010038

Carbon Nanodots with Dual Capabilities: Glutamic Acid Sensor and Plant Growth Promoter under LED Stress Conditions

Tumpa Biswas, Shrodha Mondal, Olivia Sarkar, Ansuman Chattopadhyay and Prithidipa Sahoo

ACS Appl. Bio Mater., 2025, 8, 10436
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.5c01777

Biomass-derived coriander carbon quantum dots for oxidative stress mitigation and nanoscale imaging in plants

Mahima Kumar, Binod Babu Shrestha, Shanmugavel Chinnathambi, Takahiro Fujiwara, Easan Sivaniah and Ganesh N. Pandian

Plant Nano Biology, 2026, 15, 100236
DOI: 10.1016/j.plana.2025.100236

Morinda coreia fruits derived green-emissive nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots: Selective and sensitive detection of ferric ions from water

A. Tony Elizabeth, S. Denis Arockiaraj, A.I. Rajasekaran and Antonisamy Edwin Vasu

Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 2024, 164, 112390
DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2024.112390

Carbon quantum dots: A systematic overview of recent developments in synthesis, properties, and novel therapeutic applications

Biswajeet Acharya, Amulyaratna Behera, Suchismeeta Behera and Srikanta Moharana

Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 2024, 165, 112492
DOI: 10.1016/j.inoche.2024.112492

Luminescent Dyes From Waste Source: Futuristic Advanced Material for Bioimaging and Sensing

Vishu Sharma, R. K. Soni, Nazia Tarannum, Neha Mittal and Prerna Kaushik

Luminescence, 2026, 41
DOI: 10.1002/bio.70458

Synthesis of carbon quantum dots from waste Phaseolus vulgaris for the development of a fluorescence sensing probe to detect plasticizer in cookies

Sweezee Thakur, Aarti Bains, Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj, Kandi Sridhar, Anil Kumar, Mudasir Yaqoob, Nemat Ali, Mohammad Khalid Parvez, Prince Chawla and Minaxi Sharma

Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2024, 184, 650
DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2024.02.005

Centrifugal Partition Chromatography Is a Powerful Tool for the Isolation of Antibiofilm Quantum Carbon Dots Synthesized by Hydrothermal Treatment of Avocado Peels

Nandis Fiallos, Sergio Acuña, Diana Correa-Otero, Matías Venegas-Toloza, Tatiana Beldarrain, Josefina Burgos, Francisca Fuentes, Francisco Bustamante, Girlenne Christiansen, Vanesa Roa, Eduardo Schott, Julio Alarcón-Enos and Edgar Pastene-Navarrete

Molecules, 2025, 30, 1525
DOI: 10.3390/molecules30071525

The Role of Carbon Dots in Regulating the Periodontal Immune Microenvironment: Progress and Perspectives

Kun Xue, Tingting Wang, Peilei Shi and Jun Wang

IJMS, 2025, 26, 10600
DOI: 10.3390/ijms262110600

Polysaccharide-Based Carbon Quantum Dots: Synthesis and Theranostic Applications—A Review

Shubhrat Maheshwari, Aditya Singh and Amita Verma

Biomedical Materials & Devices, 2026, 4, 1548
DOI: 10.1007/s44174-025-00355-9

Chemical and functional inheritance of carbon quantum dots hydrothermally-derived from chitosan

Cong Li, Yijin Ren, Henk J. Busscher, Zexin Zhang and Henny C. van der Mei

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2025, 682, 680
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.11.234

Green synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose-derived carbon quantum dots using microplasma technology

Jirasak Sukunta, Rangsan Panyathip, Kittisak Jantanasakulwong, Sarinthip Thanakkasaranee, Choncharoen Sawangrat, Wassanai Wattanutchariya, Takron Opassuwan and Pornchai Rachtanapun

Applied Surface Science Advances, 2025, 29, 100830
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsadv.2025.100830

Nature’s blueprint for energy: biomass-derived heteroatom-doped graphene materials for advanced energy applications

Ali İhsan Kömür, Çağdaş Kızıl and Ceren Karaman

Carbon Lett., 2025, 35, 919
DOI: 10.1007/s42823-025-00892-9

Advancements in Fluorescence Sensing: Carbon Quantum Dots for Acrylamide Detection in Food

Nikhil Sharma, Sweezee Thakur, Aarti Bains, Kandi Sridhar, Sanju Bala Dhull, Sandeep Janghu, Minaxi Sharma, Sandip Patil, Prince Chawla and Vijay Singh Sharanagat

Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2024, 2024
DOI: 10.1155/2024/5045531

Ultrasensitive detection of tetracycline in animal-origin foods using self-nitrogen doped carbon dots as fluorescent probes

Mingying Chen, Danni Wu, Xiaoye Deng, Junjie Ma, Hui Fan, Xiangru Huang, Peiwen Wang, Yingjie Li, Xiufen Liao, Lulu Si and Congjin Chen

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2025, 142, 107414
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107414

Sustainable applications of biowaste-derived carbon dots in eco-friendly technological advancements: A review

Shivani Sharma, Ravi Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar and Naveen Thakur

Materials Science and Engineering: B, 2024, 305, 117414
DOI: 10.1016/j.mseb.2024.117414

Controlling the optoelectronic properties of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots using biomass-derived precursors in a continuous flow system

Kiem G. Nguyen, Matej Huš, Ioan-Alexandru Baragau, Elisa Puccinelli, James Bowen, Tobias Heil, Adela Nicolaev, Deborah Andrews, Muhammad Tariq Sajjad, Steve Dunn and Suela Kellici

Carbon, 2024, 230, 119623
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2024.119623

Systematic review of carbon quantum dots (CQD): Definition, synthesis, applications and perspectives

Stephania Rosales, Oscar E. Medina, Nathaly Garzon, Karol Zapata, Esteban A. Taborda, Juan C. Ordóñez, Farid B. Cortés and Camilo A. Franco

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, 219, 115854
DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115854

Comprehensive review of Carbon-based nanostructures: Properties, synthesis, characterization, and cross-disciplinary applications

Mohammed Saleh, Afroz Gul, Abir Nasir, Titus Otamayomi Moses, Yahya Nural and Erdal Yabalak

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2025, 146, 176
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2024.11.052

Recent Trends and Advancements in Green Synthesis of Biomass-Derived Carbon Dots

Muhammad Usman and Shuo Cheng

Eng, 2024, 5, 2223
DOI: 10.3390/eng5030116

Fluorescent carbon quantum dots from walnut green husk waste: Synthesis, characterization, and application in sustainable inkjet printing

Maedeh Beigi, Meysam Saberi, Amir Rezvani-Moghaddam and Hossein Roghani-Mamaqani

Biomass and Bioenergy, 2026, 207, 108744
DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108744

Aggregation induced emission “Turn on” ultra-low detection of anti-inflammatory drug flufenamic acid in human urine samples by carbon dots derived from bamboo stem waste

Subitha Adaikalapandi, T. Daniel Thangadurai, S. Sivakumar, D. Nataraj, Alex Schechter, Nandakumar Kalarikkal and Sabu Thomas

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 2025, 326, 125278
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.125278

Synthesis, optoelectronic, and electrochemical characteristics of biomass-derived carbon quantum dots

J. Sherin Percy Prema Leela, P. Jesu Jayarin, M. Ramesh Babu, Santosh Kumar Nathsharma and Helen Merina Albert

J Mater Sci: Mater Electron, 2025, 36
DOI: 10.1007/s10854-025-15916-3

Biodegradable Polysaccharide-Based Carbon Quantum Dots for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Progress and Prospects

Shubhrat Maheshwari, Aditya Singh and Amita Verma

Biomedical Materials & Devices, 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s44174-025-00439-6

Emerging synthetic strategies, tunable properties, and multifunctional applications of metal-doped carbon dots: A review

Elisa Herrera, Antonio Gil and Manuel Algarra

Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 2026, 352, 103826
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2026.103826

Recent Advances in Biomass‐Derived Quantum Dots, Synthesis, and Their Applications

Nishtha, Deepanshu Awasthi and Anil Kumar Sarma

ChemistrySelect, 2025, 10
DOI: 10.1002/slct.202404611

Gram-Scale Green-Emission Carbon Quantum Dots Produced from Wood via the Hydrothermal Synthesis Method for the Detection of Fe (III)

Pingxuan Mu, Yu Han and Jinxin Wang

Applied Sciences, 2025, 15, 1958
DOI: 10.3390/app15041958

Application of carbon dots-based nanomaterials in amyloid aggregation disease

Chaoren Yan, Xu Shao, Yixuan Wang, Selene Tang, Sitao Li, Chao Wang, Mengyao Bai, Yuming Qi, Yandong Ma, Ruobing Zhao, Wenlei Zhu, Jingming Shi, Shichao Ding and Zhaoyuan Lyu

Carbon, 2025, 234, 119971
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2024.119971

Bio-inspired nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots: A green route for bioimaging and nano-biosensing

Mahima Kumar, Binod Babu Shrestha, Shanmugavel Chinnathambi, Basudeb Dutta, Easan Sivaniah and Ganesh N. Pandian

Industrial Crops and Products, 2025, 227, 120817
DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2025.120817

Ultra-luminescent B, N-doped peanut shell carbon quantum Dots: Green synthesis for rapid on-site fluorescent detection of barium and silver ions in aqueous media

Huma Javeria, Basem E. Keshta, Muhammad Qamer Abbas, Shu-Huan Chen, Wajeeha Fatima and Zhenxia Du

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 2026, 154, 348
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2025.07.001

Versatile application of carbon quantum dots in quick-response sensing, photocatalytic, and bio-optical probes

Nirupam Das, Sawna Roy, Manashjit Gogoi and Rajiv K. Kar

Microchemical Journal, 2026, 220, 116390
DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2025.116390

Upcycling biomass waste into luminescent solid-state carbon dots

Najeeb S. Abdulla, Marvin Jose F. Fernandez and Mannix P. Balanay

Next Materials, 2024, 3, 100155
DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2024.100155

Hydrothermal conversion of biomass for co-production of carbon quantum dots and biofuels

Nilotpal Baishya, Neelam Bora, Mondita Athparia, Priyanka Padhi and Rupam Kataki

Environ Sci Pollut Res, 2025, 32, 24231
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35842-x

Hydrothermal synthesis of biomass-derived CQDs: Advances and applications

Xiangping Xu, Xiaodong Wang, Wang Du, Sudan Liu, Zhongxiang Qiao and Yabin Zhou

Nanotechnology Reviews, 2025, 14
DOI: 10.1515/ntrev-2025-0184

Carbon quantum dots: An overview of their synthesis from natural plant sources, and their potential use as antimicrobial agents

M.R. Malini, Bharath K. Devendra, H.R. Panchami, Nagaraju Kottam and B.S. Krishna

Synthetic Metals, 2026, 316, 117977
DOI: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2025.117977

Biomass-derived carbon dots as fluorescent quantum probes to visualize and modulate inflammation

Mahima Kumar, Shanmugavel Chinnathambi, Noremylia Bakhori, Norhidayah Abu, Fatemeh Etezadi, Vaijayanthi Thangavel, Daniel Packwood, Easan Sivaniah and Ganesh N. Pandian

Sci Rep, 2024, 14
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62901-7

Recent advancements in application of carbohydrate-derived carbon quantum dots in analytical chemistry: a comprehensive update

Elyor Berdimurodov, Natarajan Elangovan, Ashish Kumar, Abhinay Thakur, Fotima Sobirova, Khudaybergan Polvonov, Sevara Tojieva, Muzaffar Makhkamov, Ahmad Hosseini-Bandegharaei and Ibrohim Sapaev

Bioresour. Bioprocess., 2025, 12
DOI: 10.1186/s40643-025-00953-x

Recent advances in agricultural and marine waste-derived carbon dots for clean energy technologies

Manmeet Kaur Chhina, Sukhjinder Singh, Swedha Madhu, Kuljeet Singh Grewal, Aitazaz A. Farooque and Gurpreet Singh Selopal

Carbon, 2026, 253, 121444
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2026.121444

Thiamethoxam Sensing Using Gelatin Carbon Dots: Influence of Synthesis and Purification Methods

Mayara Martins Caetano and Renata Galvão de Lima

Chemosensors, 2025, 13, 326
DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors13090326

Production of carbon nanomaterials from industrial waste salts containing organic pollutants: Carbon quantum dots, graphene, and fullerenes

Pengyao Liu, Lan Li, Lingyun Cao, Xingyu Mu, Meitong Li and Xuening Fei

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2026, 14, 120908
DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2025.120908

Sustainable carbon quantum dots for highly selective Cu2+ ion detection in water and thermal sensing applications

Avinash Kumar and Arvind K. Gathania

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 2026, 348, 127142
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.127142

Recycling Motorcycle Exhaust Soot into Fluorescent Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots for Sensing Ferrocyanide Ions and Bioimaging Cells: A Method for Waste Utilization

Chanchal Das, Nasim Sepay, Tae Wan Kim, Shinwon Chae, Nandan Ghosh, Mohan Dumpala, Dongsic Choi, Seob Jeon, Jungkyun Im and Goutam Biswas

ACS Omega, 2025, 10, 14229
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c00229

Aggregation-Induced Emission Carbon Quantum Dots for High-Resolution Cellular Imaging with Superior Fluorescence

Shancai Guo, Qizhong Hu, Xuye Zhang, Zewei Bao, Jinjun Zhao, Jianyuan Lin, Zhijian Jia, Haili Wang, Chunjie Bai and Jianghua Chen

Analytical Letters, 2025, 1
DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2025.2556455

Carbon quantum dots derived from marine Eucheuma denticulatum for the efficient and sensitive detection of tetracycline

Wanjun Li, Kun Luo, Mingzhe Lv and Yanmei Wen

J Nanopart Res, 2024, 26
DOI: 10.1007/s11051-024-05977-6