Hydrothermally enhanced photoluminescence of carbon nanoparticles

Luminescent carbon nanoparticles were prepared from natural gas soot. The photoluminescence was found to be enhanced more than 10-fold when the particles were subjected to hydrothermal treatment between 200 and 340 degrees C for up to 15 h. This was accounted for by the effective removal of quinone moieties from the particle surface. Consistent results were obtained from UV-visible, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electrochemical measurements. The correlation may be exploited for controlled manipulation of nanoparticle optoelectronic properties. (C) 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.