Interfacing Carbon Dots for Charge‐Transfer Processes

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) are a booming material and the most recent incomer in the big family of carbon nanostructures. Specifically, CDs are nanosized fluorescent core‐shell nanoparticles with tunable absorption and emission spectra, with high solubility in aqueous media and common organic solvents. Herein, the origins and the development of these unique nanoscale structures are discussed, key synthetic routes are briefly described, and the utilization of CDs in light‐induced charge‐transfer schemes is mainly focused upon. Beyond the impact of the CD's surface on the photoluminescence properties, functionalization, by covalent or supramolecular means, permits controllable incorporation of new functionalities with novel photophysical properties. Furthermore, the dual nature of CDs as electron donating or electron accepting species, unveiled upon interfacing them with organic chromophores, highlights their potentiality in managing diverse charge‐transfer processes. Novel mechanisms, such as symmetry‐breaking photoinduced charge‐transfer can be activated upon covalent functionalization of CDs with organic dyes. Without a doubt, participation of CDs in energy conversion schemes opens up a wide avenue that may lead to the development of novel prototype devices suitable for technological applications and related to photonics and optoelectronics.

Enabling robust and hour-level organic long persistent luminescence from carbon dots by covalent fixation

“…1a ); thus, the afterglow durations are limited to seconds as well 25 – 36 . Notably, the photoinduced electron transfer properties of CDs have been studied previously, and they have demonstrated that CDs can be used as both electron donors and electron acceptors 37 – 39 . Given these findings, photoinduced CT and CS states might be obtained by properly designing CD-organic molecule blends, consequently producing LPL (Fig.…”

Recent progress of biocompatible carbon dots in hypoxia-related fields

“…[37][38] Including good chemical stability, water solubility, higher specific surface area, higher fluorescence quantum yield (QY), electron mobility, low-cost sources. [39][40][41] The drug-carrying property of CDs is also better than quantum dots, 42 In particular, CDs have outstanding inherent photoluminescence properties. 43 Generally speaking, CDs emit bright fluorescence by themselves under light, and their optical stability is excellent.…”

Recent Advances in Functional Carbon Quantum Dots for Antitumour

“…19 CQDs are carbon-based zerodimensional nanoparticles with particle sizes less than 10 nm that are composed of dispersed spherical carbon particles. 20 Their nuclei are generally formed by sp 2 hybridization, and they have two kinds of structures: lattices and nonlattices. 21 In 2004, Professor Xiaoyou Xu of the University of South Carolina et al reported for the first time that during the electrophoretic purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes, CQDs that can emit bright fluorescence were found in the products, 22 thus introducing CQDs and opening the door for scientific researchers to further explore them.…”