The Fluorescence Mechanism of Carbon Dots, and Methods for Tuning Their Emission Color: a Review

Overview

Journal Mikrochim Acta

Specialties Biotechnology
Chemistry

Date 2019 Jul 31

PMID 31359150

Citations 58

Authors

Fanyong Yan

Zhonghui Sun

Hao Zhang

Xiaodong Sun

Yingxia Jiang

Zhangjun Bai

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) display tunable photoluminescence and excitation-wavelength dependent emission. The color of fluorescence is affected by electronic bandgap transitions of conjugated π-domains, surface defect states, local fluorophores and element doping. In this review (with 145 refs.), the studies performed in the past 5 years on the relationship between the fluorescence mechanism and modes for modulating the emission color of CDs are summarized. The applications of such CDs in sensors and assays are then outlined. A concluding section then gives an outlook and describes current challenges in the design of CDs with different emission colors. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of the relationship between the color-emitting (blue, green, yellow, red and multicolor) modulation of carbon dots and fluorescence mechanism including bandgap transitions of conjugated π-domains and surface defect states.

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