Carbon Quantum Dot-Functionalized Aerogels for NO2 Gas Sensing

Silica aerogels functionalized with strongly fluorescent carbon quantum dots were first prepared and used for simple, sensitive, and selective sensing of NO2 gas. In the presence of ethanol, homemade silica aerogels with a large specific surface area of 801.17 m(2)/g were functionalized with branched polyethylenimine-capped quantum dots (BPEI-CQDs) with fluorescence quantum yield higher than 40%. The prepared porous CQD-aerogel hybrid material could maintain its excellent fluorescence (FL) activity in its solid state. The FL of CQD-aerogel hybrid material could be selectively and sensitively quenched by NO2 gas, suggesting a promising application of the new FL-functionalized aerogels in gas sensing.