Abstract
Carbon nanodots (C-dots) were synthesized by femtosecond laser ablation of graphite powders in polyethylene glycol (PEG200N) solutions with different graphite concentrations. The photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of the C-dots was effectively enhanced by decreasing the graphite concentration, and its value could reach 21%. Detailed work showed that the C-dots prepared with a low raw material concentration possessed high PLQY because they contained fewer trap defects in the carbogenic core and a larger quantity of surface functional groups on the surface. Taking advantage of their high photoluminescence properties, the C-dots were used as effective fluorescent nanosensor probes for sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ ions.
Highlights
Because of their unique optical properties, fluorescent nanoparticles have received intense scientific attention and are promising in bioapplications [1]
The as-prepared carbon nanodots (C-dots) distributed on the copper grid homogeneously, and no large aggregations could be observed, indicating that the C-dots were well dispersed in solution
The high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images of C-dots prepared with concentrations of 12.5 and 50 mg/L (insets in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b)) exhibited highly crystalline structures with a lattice spacing of 0.21 nm, which is very close to the (100) in-plane lattice spacing of graphite [23]
Summary
Because of their unique optical properties, fluorescent nanoparticles have received intense scientific attention and are promising in bioapplications [1]. As a new emerging star in the field of fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), carbon nanodots (C-dots) have drawn great attention since their initial discovery in 2004 because of their unique combination of intense photoluminescence (PL), high water solubility, chemical stability and photostability, low toxicity, and excellent biocompatibility [2, 3]. The plasma temperature at focal point created by femtosecond laser, could be as high as 105 K [16], is much higher than that created by nanosecond laser (~103 K) [17] Under these extreme conditions, the chemical reactions between the nanoclusters and the solution molecules are more drastic and NPs with abundant surface functional groups are formed. To take advantage of their high photoluminescence properties, the C-dots were applied as very effective fluorescent nanosensor probes for sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ ions
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