Chapter 10 - Carbon quantum dots: A fluorescent nanomaterial with huge impact on environmental remediation

Abstract

The increases in world population and industrialization in the last few decades are primary causes of environmental pollution, which directly affects human society and health. Environmental pollution has become a major issue worldwide. Researchers are attempting to solve the problem by searching for advanced technologies and materials that can help to overcome challenges associated with environmental pollution. In the search for new and useful materials, carbonaceous materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and mesoporous carbon have gained the most attention. However, in the last 10years, a new type of carbonaceous nanomaterial has come to light, namely carbon quantum dots or carbon dots, for environmental remediation. They have unique properties, including extraordinary and tunable fluorescence, photoluminescence properties, quantum size, upconversion of chemiluminescence properties, chemical inertness, biocompatibility, photo bleaching ability, water solubility, low cost, and great abundance. They have numerous applications in environmental remediation, drug delivery, nanomedicine, therapeutics, sensing, bioimaging, energy storage/conversion, and others. This chapter discusses the development of carbon quantum dots from different types of carbon precursors and their role in environmental remediation and mechanisms, mainly in detection of different toxic heavy metal ions, toxic organic compounds, and degradation of organic pollutants.