C-QDs

Recent understandings
2020/09
2015

Zhu et al. 2015, Nano res

Using physical (laser, electrochemical) or chemical (oxidized with
KMnO4 + H2SO4 + H3PO4) methods to subdivide the conjugated
belt system into smaller sub-fractions.
Hydrothermal small molecules (CA, EDA, Urea, ...) polymers
(foods, ..) into structures capable of luminescence
 DFT calculation

Experimental

Both theoretical and experimental calculations showed that

GCQ exhibits a quantum confinement effect: larger particles -
Smaller Eg (bandgap energy)
Emission properties of GQDs depend on the surface state  due
to the chemical structure at the edge, the conjugate edge.

For example, the red emission of GO drops sharply, turns blue, when deoxidize.
•Quantum yield of GQDs (or GO) synthesized by physical method is
quite low (~ 15 or less%)
• Hydrothermal methods can produce so-called "things" called C-
QDs (or carbon nanodots); High luminescence performance when
using citric acid and amine
• The structure and mechanism of luminescence are still being
studied more and more carefully.
 Structure transformation when
hydrothermal CA and EDA

2012

IPCA
Eg=3,862 eV (or 321 nm)
2015

IPCA
Eg=3,862 eV (or 321 nm)
Quantum yield: 86%
2017

IPCA attached to the surface of the conjugated system

Emission is composed of a conjugate core, from IPCA, and trapping states
2017

Citric acid + ethanolamine 

2017

Structure Model: Carbon dots are molecules bound together through

H or "π−π" stacking (similar to graphite).
The mechanism that is widely used is

Citrazinic acid

New explainations
a) 280-380 nm: π  π*
b) Defect states: Carbon unsaturated in the conjugated system.
 Conclusion my work
• CA + amine -> molecular fluorophore, usually of pyridiene
compounds

• Hydrothermal for longer time, higher temperature  the π- π

conjugate

• The fluorophore luminescent particles can exist independently or

be attached to the surface of the π- π complex. Remove the free
fluorophore by rinsing it according to the pp solvent - antisolvent
FT-IR (Ref.)
FT-IR (Ref.)
FT-IR (Ref.)
FT-IR (Ref.)
Some application

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article
/pii/S0039914018313092
Next plan

Prove that:
The quantum yield of CQDs depends on the precursor.
• Synthesis of Carbon quantum dots from (CA + EDA), and CA.
• Change the precursor (acid- base)

Carbon quantum dots were synthesized from the

CA and EDA