Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) have generated much interest because of their significant fluorescence (FL) properties, extraordinary photophysical attributes, and long-term colloidal stability. CDs have been regarded as a prospective carbon nanomaterial for various sensing applications because of their low toxicity, strong and broad optical absorption, high chemical stability, rapid transfer properties, and easy modification. To improve their functionality, CD/polymer composites have been developed by integrating polymers into CDs. CD/polymer composites have diversified because of their easy preparation and applications in sensing, optoelectronics, semiconductors, molecular delivery, and various commercial fields. Many review articles are available regarding the preparation and applications of CDs. Some review articles describing the production and multiple applications of the composites are available. However, no such article has focused on the types of precursors, optical properties, coating characteristics, and specific sensing applications of CD/polymer composites. This review aimed to highlight and summarize the current progress of CD/polymer composites in the last five years (2017–2021). First, we overview the precursors used for deriving CDs and CD/polymer composites, synthesis methods for preparing CDs and CD/polymer composites, and the optical properties (absorbance, FL, emission color, and quantum yield) and coating characteristics of the composites. Most carbon and polymer precursors were dominated by synthetic precursors, with citric acid and polyvinyl alcohol widely utilized as carbon and polymer precursors, respectively. Hydrothermal treatment for CDs and interfacial polymerization for CDs/polymers were frequently performed. The optical properties of CDs and CD/polymer composites were almost identical, denoting that the optical characters of CDs were well-maintained in the composites. Then, the chemical, biological, and physical sensing applications of CD/polymer composites are categorized and discussed. The CD/polymer composites showed good performance as chemical, biological, and physical sensors for numerous targets based on FL quenching efficiency. Finally, remaining challenges and future perspectives for CD/polymer composites are provided.
Highlights
In 2004, fluorescent carbon nanomaterials were derived through the purification of SWCNTs by Xu et al [1]
The hydrothermal treatment has been most utilized for the preparation of Carbon dots (CDs) for composites according to our overview of the available literature
Bhattacharya et al constructed FL self-healing gels by reacting CDs derived from some aldehyde precursors with PEI via solvothermal treatment and Schiff base reaction [103]
Summary
In 2004, fluorescent carbon nanomaterials were derived through the purification of SWCNTs by Xu et al [1]. CDs have prominent advantages such as simple and inexpensive synthesis, a wide selection of precursors, good water solubility, high sensitivity and selectivity, tunable surface and fluorescence properties, low toxicity, superior electron transfer ability, high chemical stability, excellent photostability, and cheap scale-up production [13,14]. Several polymer precursors have been utilized to prepare CD/polymer composites, including natural precursors such as chitosan [67], cellulose acetate [65], and alginate [68] and synthetic precursors such as APTES [69], polyethersulfone [70], polyethyleneimine [71], polydopamine [72], polystyrene [73], polyvinyl alcohol [74], and many others Some of these are functional monomers used to produce polymers during the polymerization process with CDs. most CDs and polymer precursors in the literature were synthetic/manmade precursors rather than natural carbon and polymer precursors. PVA/CDs CDs@MIPs CDs@MIPs BMIP@CDs CQDs@MIPs Y-CD/PVA, Y-CD/CS C-dots/PVA PPy@Cdots/PANI@Cdots aGQDs-TFN OSN PDA-CQDs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
