Carbon dots: preparation, properties, and application

Abstract

Abstract Carbon dots (CDs) are zero-dimensional carbon-based materials in the size range of a few tens of nanometers and can be doped with N, S, P, and B heteroatoms. They are chemically modifiable to enhance and render some additional functional properties. CDs possess many inherent assets such as tunable optoelectronic properties with high photoluminescence and/or fluorescence properties, good biocompatibility, and tunable and postmodifiable functional groups with facile preparation methods. As the precursor materials and synthesis methods greatly determine the applicability of CD materials in many fields, in this chapter, the approaches for CD synthesis, including the effects of source and doping as well as the reaction conditions such as temperature and time will be discussed. This will be followed by the application of CDs in bioimaging, cancer therapy, gene and drug delivery, sensors and biosensors, catalysts, and energy. Finally, concluding remarks about some potential future uses of CDs are presented.