Solid‐state Fluorescence from Carbon Dots Widely Tunable from Blue to Deep Red through Surface Ligand Modulation

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) find widespread attention due to their remarkable fluorescent and electronic properties. However, aggregation‐caused quenching currently limits the application of CDs in colored displays. The construction of CDs with color‐tunable solid‐state fluorescence (SSF) is rarely reported, since the preparation of SSF CDs is technically challenging. Herein, through surface ligand modulation, SSF CDs with an emission‐color span of almost 300 nm (from blue to deep red) were obtained. In‐depth structure‐property studies reveal that intra‐ and inter‐molecular hydrogen‐bonding inside SSF CDs provokes the emission properties in the aggregated state. Photodynamic characterizations demonstrate emission wavelengths can be switched smoothly by deliberately altering conjugation ability between substituent ligands and CDs core. Three‐dimensional printing patterning is used to create a range of emissive objects, demonstrating the commercial potential for use in optical lamps.

Colorful Triplet Excitons in Carbon Nanodots for Time Delay Lighting

“…Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have drawn broad attention as new rising efficient emitters, [1,2] which offer intriguing potential applications in optoelectronic devices, [3][4][5] displaying, informa tion encryption, [6][7][8][9] timeresolved bioimaging, [10][11][12] etc. Especially, lightemitting diodes (LEDs) based on emissive CNDs have been receiving enormous attention as light sources because of their ecofriendly feature and easily tunable fluores cence wavelength.…”

Single-particle dispersion of carbon dots in the nano-hydroxyapatite lattice achieving solid-state green fluorescence

“…One is the surface ligand modification method, which grafts long organic or polymer chains on the surface of CDs to prevent direct interaction between CDs and can realize solid-state fluorescence of CDs from blue to red. 21–24 Another is the matrix-assisted dispersion method, where CDs are dispersed in the polymer matrix network, such as PMMA, HEMA, PVP, etc. , also achieving blue to red solid-state fluorescence.…”

“…One is the surface ligand modication method, which gras long organic or polymer chains on the surface of CDs to prevent direct interaction between CDs and can realize solid-state uorescence of CDs from blue to red. [21][22][23][24] Another is the matrix-assisted dispersion method, where CDs are dispersed in the polymer matrix network, such as PMMA, HEMA, PVP, etc., also achieving blue to red solid-state uorescence. [25][26][27][28] However, the above methods all require organic solvents to provide the compounding environment for CDs and polymers, which inevitably results in solvent residues, causing harm to humans and the environment.…”

Construction of composite films using carbon nanodots for blocking ultraviolet light from the Sun

“…9 With the development of UV blocking materials, carbon nanodots (CNDs) have gradually been used to block high-energy short wavelength light due to their excellent optical absorption and conversion properties. 1,2,10,11 CNDs are a new type of carbon nanomaterial with a particle size <10 nm, excellent resistance to photobleaching and good responsiveness to changes in pH and temperature, [12][13][14][15][16] which are widely used in white light emitting diodes (WLEDs), [17][18][19][20] in anticounterfeiting applications, 21,22 as probes, [23][24][25] and catalysts, 26,27 and for biological imaging. 28,29 Among the many possible sources of carbon for preparing carbon dots, natural resources and derivatives are particularly attractive because of their abundance, low price, environmental friendliness and sustainability.…”