Liquid-Phase Synthesis of Hydrophilic Luminescent Carbon Dots Using Porous Silica as a Nanotemplate

Herein, nanoporous silica monoliths are used as a morphological template for liquid-phase synthesis of luminescent carbon nanodots. Two kinds of sol-gel-derived porous silica samples with the average nanopore sizes of 40 and 7 nm are infiltrated with sucrose/dimethyl sulfoxide solution followed by thermolysis at 170-180 degrees C. Thermal treatment causes the formation of carbon moieties that are, afterward, extracted into water. The obtained aqueous solutions of carbon dots show intense photoluminescence. The observed emission and excitation bands are strongly affected by the morphology of nanoporous silica template. Larger pore size of silica nanotemplate results in the red shift of the emission and excitation bands.

Automated summary

Nanoporous silica monoliths are employed as a morphological template for the liquid-phase synthesis of luminescent carbon nanodots. The morphology of the nanoporous silica template strongly influences the emission and excitation bands, with larger pore sizes resulting in a red shift of these bands. The successful synthesis of luminescent carbon nanodots is achieved through thermal treatment and subsequent extraction into water.