One-Step Synthesis of Novel Photoluminescent Nitrogen-Rich Carbon Nanodots from Allylamine for Highly Sensitive and Selective Fluorescence Detection of Trinitrophenol and Fluorescent Ink

The monitoring of nitroaromatic explosives plays a vital role in homeland security and public safety. In this work, by employing allylamine as the source for both carbon and nitrogen, photoluminescent nitrogen-rich carbon nanodots (NC-dots) were prepared via a peaceable and inexpensive hydrothermal route for the first time. The average size of the present synthesized NC-dots is 2.88 +/- 0.4 nm. The NC-dots show outstanding blue fluorescence and exhibit a dramatically high fluorescence quantum yield of 15%. The NC-dots were completely characterized using various techniques. The NC-dots could be employed as a fluorescent material for the sensing of TNP with distinguished selectivity. The addition of TNP into the NC-dots resulted in splendid quenching, which was ascribed to the integrative action of fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electron transfer, and the hydrogen-bond interactions between NC-dots and TNP. In parallel, the proposed NC-dots could be applied as a new type of fluorescent ink. In addition, a detailed mechanism for the production of NC-dots via self-polymerization and carbonization was proposed.