One step synthesis of Al/N co-doped carbon nanoparticles with enhanced photoluminescence

Abstract

In a typical synthesis, luminescent carbon nanoparticles were synthesized via hydrothermal oxidation of glucose in deionized water. Here we reported the photoluminescence of the carbon nanoparticles greatly enhanced when reacted with Al(NO3)3 for the first time, the resulted carbon dots have appropriate spherical morphology, uniform size and good dispersion. The carbon nanoparticles can exhibit excitation-dependent photoluminescence behavior and emit bright green photoluminescence under UV excitation, which might provide a potential application for carbon dots in other extensive fields.