“…13 Photoluminescent GQDs and C-dots are touted for their properties, such as small sizes, intrinsic and stable photoluminescence, biocompatibility, and ease of surface derivitization 11 while showing promise for applications such as chromatographic stationary phases, 14 drug-delivery vehicles, 15 photothermal therapies, 16 photocatalysis, 17 bioimaging, 4 and chemical sensing. 18 Graphene oxide nanosheets are also cited for use in similar applications, including intracellular drug delivery and cellular imaging; 19 in addition, graphene oxide can be chemically converted to graphene, 20 which has a host of exciting applications and fascinating properties that have been at the center of research and innovation in recent years. 21 The synthetic process to produce C-dots from bulk carbon starting materials involves the simultaneous etching (i.e., breaking of C-C bonds) and oxidation of the bulk carbon starting material under acidic conditions; this produces species with hydrophilic moieties at the surfaces, making them water soluble.…”