Applications of Carbon Dots in Optoelectronics

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) are an attractive class of nanomaterials due to the ease of their synthesis, biocompatibility, and superior optical properties. The electronic structure of CDs and hence their optical transitions can be controlled and tuned over a wide spectral range via the choice of precursors, adjustment of the synthetic conditions, and post-synthetic treatment. We summarize recent progress in the synthesis of CDs emitting in different colors in terms of morphology and optical properties of the resulting nanoparticles, with a focus on the synthetic approaches allowing to shift their emission to longer wavelengths. We further consider formation of CD-based composite materials, and review approaches used to prevent aggregation and self-quenching of their emission. We then provide examples of applications of CDs in optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a focus on white LEDs.

A review on advancements in carbon quantum dots and their application in photovoltaics

“…126,127 Due to these features, CQDs have been used in different functional layers of solar cells: electron-transporting layers (ETL), active absorbing layers, hole-transporting layers (HTL), dopants in the active layer, and as an interlayer spacing simply to align and adjust the energy levels of other components. 128 As a result, CQDs-based solar cells are expected to display superior performance. This article reports two recent reviews 119,128 that deal with the role of CQDs in specic types of solar cells.…”

Advances in the Methods for the Synthesis of Carbon Dots and Their Emerging Applications

“…It has been proven in the literature, theoretically, that the electronic features of carbon-based nanoparticles could be monitored by shape, by morphology, chemical composition and doping. In particular, CDs were considered as nanoparticles with sp 3 -hybridized amorphous carbon cores that contain partially sp 2 -hybridized carbon domains, and it was predicted that the emission of CDs can be red shifted by increase of hybridization factor of those domains within CDs [ 159 ]. Another theoretical investigation showed that covalent-bonded dimers of polyaromatic hydrocarbons at the CDs surface, in contrast to non-interacting monomers, resulted in a red shift and broadening of the PL band, with a decrease in its intensity [ 160 ].…”

State of Art Technology: Synthesis of Carbon Dots and Their Potential Applications in Biomedical, Research and Environmental Remediation

“…It has been proven in the literature, theoretically, that the electronic features of carbon-based nanoparticles could be monitored by shape, by morphology, chemical composition and doping. In particular, CDs were considered as nanoparticles with sp 3 -hybridized amorphous carbon cores that contain partially sp 2 -hybridized carbon domains, and it was predicted that the emission of CDs can be redshifted by increase of hybridization factor of those domains within CDs [159]. Another theoretical investigation showed that covalent-bonded dimers of polyaromatic hydrocarbons at the CDs surface, in contrast to non-interacting monomers, resulted in a redshift and broadening of the PL band, with a decrease in its intensity [160].…”