Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are novel nanostructures that have great potential as fluorescent markers due to their multi-fluorescence, down and up converted emission, resistance to photobleaching, and biocompatibility. Here, we report the synthesis of fluorescent CQDs by the submerged arc discharge in water method. We discuss the method's simplicity, natural phases’ separation, and scalability. The produced CQDs size distribution was in the range of 1–5 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and their fast Fourier transformation allowed the analysis of the CQDs’ internal structure. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the as-produced CQDs were analyzed. The UV-Vis spectrum shows a single band with a maximum located at 356 nm. The photoluminescence emission presents two consistent bands with maxima located in the ranges of 320–340 nm (band A) and 400–410 nm (band B). To these emission bands correspond two bands in the excitation spectra located at 275 nm (band A) and 285 nm (band B). The fluorescence quantum yield was assessed as ∼16% using Rhodamine 6G as reference. The capabilities of the produced CQDs as fluorescent markers for in vitro studies were also evaluated by setting them in contact with a cell culture of L929 murine fibroblasts. Control and CQD-treated cell cultures were visualized under a fluorescence microscope. Finally, the mechanism of formation of these nanostructures by top-down methods is discussed, and a general model of formation is proposed.

Activated carbon (AC) was gained from Pinus montezumae (PM) wood sawdust and chemical activation with K2CO3 was used for obtaining activated carbons. Variations in reaction conditions such as temperature, impregnation ratio (IR), and activation time were carried out to study their influence on the specific surface area (SSA) and average pore volume (APV) in AC. Materials were analyzed by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the functional groups, pore structure, and morphology of pine sawdust and activated carbons. Activated carbons were amorphous in nature with some crystalline regions.

Submerged arc discharge (SAD) is a simple method to produce carbon nanostructures (CNSs). However, its potential cannot be fully exploited because it generates contaminants and unwanted by-products (CUBPs) that are difficult to eliminate. The formation mechanisms of CNSs and CUBPs were investigated by measuring the correlations between the SAD main parameters (current, voltage, power, anode displacement, and sound emission). It was demonstrated that the SAD takes place in a succession of stable and unstable zones that induce homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation processes, respectively. In the stable zones, carbon vapor jets are generated and induce the appearance of vortices. Both processes stimulate nucleation. From the measurement of the sound emitted by the jets, the dimensions of the discharge channel were determined. These dimensions match the anode crater size measured by scanning electron microscopy. In the unstable zones, vibrations and thermal stress in the anode intensify. Graphite microparticles are released and act as nucleation centers that induce the formation of CUBPs. While most of the discharge elapses in stable zones, the highest fraction of anode erosion occurs in unstable zones. These results made evident that current theoretical models fail to explain the presence of observed impurities because they do not take into account the influence of vibrations and heterogeneous nucleation. The operation of the synthesis device was simulated, and the results obtained reinforce the aforementioned conclusions. The acoustic emission of the SAD allowed obtaining information on the installation operation for the optimization of its design. Based on this information, recommendations were made for the installation design.