Carbon Dots as an Effective Fluorescent Sensing Platform for Metal Ion Detection

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 272 - 13
• Main Authors: Yoo, Donggeon, Park, Yuri, Cheon, Banyoon, Park, Myoung-Hwan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 13-08-2019; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Cadmium; Carbon dots; Chemistry and Materials Science; Detection; Fluorescence; Graphene; Graphene quantum dots; Heavy metal ions; Heavy metals; Ions; Materials Science; Metal ions; Molecular Medicine; Nano Review; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Optical properties; Physical properties; Quantum dots; Sensing; Toxicity; Heavy metal ions; Sensing; Carbon dots; Graphene quantum dots
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/s11671-019-3088-6

Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) including carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have drawn great interest because of their low cost and low toxicity, and they represent a new class of carbon materials prepared by simple synthetic routes. In particular, the optical properties of CDs can be easily tuned by the surface passivation of the organic layer and functionalization of the CDs. Based on the advantages of these carbon materials, CQDs and GQDs have been applied in various fields as nanoplatforms for sensing, imaging, and delivery. In this review, we discuss several synthetic methods for preparing CQDs and GQDs, as well as their physical properties, and further discuss the progress in CD research with an emphasis on their application in heavy metal sensing.