“…Figure S10 demonstrates that the absorption spectra were altered, suggesting a definite interaction between the N-CQDs and Cu 2+ to form the complex. In addition, FT-IR spectra (Figure 4A) showed that the band at 3456 cm −1 became broader and a new band at 1751 cm −1 emerged as N-CQDs/Cu aggregate forms, 33 further corroborating with EDX (Figure 4B), XPS (Figure 4C−G), TEM (Figure S11), and DLS results (Figure 5A). The XPS spectra of the N-CQDs/Cu complex distinctly reveal the presence of Cu 2p 1/2 and Cu 2p 3/2 alongside C, N, and O (Figure 4C−G).…”