Abstract
Luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) represent a new form of nanocarbon materials which have gained widespread attention in recent years, especially in chemical sensor, bioimaging, nanomedicine, solar cells, light-emitting diode (LED), and electrocatalysis. CQDs can be prepared simply and inexpensively by multiple techniques, such as the arc-discharge method, microwave pyrolysis, hydrothermal method, and electrochemical synthesis. CQDs show excellent physical and chemical properties like high crystallization, good dispersibility, photoluminescence properties. In particular, the small size, superconductivity, and rapid electron transfer of CQDs endow the CQDs-based composite with improved electric conductivity and catalytic activity. Besides, CQDs have abundant functional groups on the surface which could facilitate the preparation of multi-component electrical active catalysts. The interactions inside these multi-component catalysts may further enhance the catalytic performance by promoting charge transfer which plays an important role in electrochemistry. Most recent researches on CQDs have focused on their fluorescence characteristics and photocatalytic properties. This review will summarize the primary advances of CQDs in the synthetic methods, excellent physical and electronic properties, and application in electrocatalysis, including oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reduction (HER), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR).
Highlights
In recent years, carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (Rao et al, 2018), fullerenes (Lin et al, 2018), graphene (Clancy et al, 2018), and nanodiamonds (Georgakilas et al, 2015) have attracted a wide spread attention
Hu et al (2009) demonstrated the surface state of the carbon quantum dots (CQDs) can be modified by selecting proper organic solvent during the laser irradiation process in order to tune the PL properties of the synthesized CQDs
CQDs hybridized with other inorganic compounds, such as layered-double-hydroxides (LDHs), metal sulfides, and metal phosphides, etc. can be utilized as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reduction (HER), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), etc. as shown in Figure 2, in view of the following reasons: (1) the cheap and easy accessibility of CQDs compared with the stateof-art precious metals; (2) the enhanced electronic conductivity of the hybrids stemming from CQDs; (3) more active catalytic reaction sites provided by CQDs; (4) favorable charge transfer during electrocatalytic process, and (5) the improved structure stability after bonding with CQDs
Summary
Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Green Preparation and Functionalization for Inorganic Materials, Key Laboratory of Auxiliary Chemistry and Technology for Chemical Industry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, China. CQDs show excellent physical and chemical properties like high crystallization, good dispersibility, photoluminescence properties. CQDs have abundant functional groups on the surface which could facilitate the preparation of multi-component electrical active catalysts. The interactions inside these multi-component catalysts may further enhance the catalytic performance by promoting charge transfer which plays an important role in electrochemistry. This review will summarize the primary advances of CQDs in the synthetic methods, excellent physical and electronic properties, and application in electrocatalysis, including oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reduction (HER), and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR)
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