Carbon dots based on natural resources: Synthesis and applications in sensors

As a new zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, carbon dots (CDs) have a wide range of applications in the fields of biology, chemistry, food science, and energy, which are ascribed to their intrinsic merits of good biocompatibility, strong stability, high specific surface area, etc. Especially, green carbon dots (GCDs) prepared from natural resources have received widespread attention due to their unique advantages, including wide sources, cost-effective, eco-friendly, etc. Interestingly, the various properties of GCDs can be obtained from different synthetic methods, which including the hydrothermal synthesis, microwave-assisted synthesis, pyrolysis carbonization synthesis, chemical oxidation synthesis, and ultrasonic synthesis. In consideration of their unique properties, GCDs have shown tremendous potential in fluorescence sensors, colorimetric sensors, and electrochemical sensors. The article mainly reviews the preparation methods of natural resources-based GCDs and the applications of GCDs in sensors for the first time. What's more, the challenges and future direction of research on the preparation of GCDs and their applications in sensors are also discussed.

Automated summary

Carbon dots (CDs) as a new zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial have a wide range of applications in biology, chemistry, food science, and energy fields, with green carbon dots (GCDs) prepared from natural resources receiving widespread attention for their advantages of wide sources, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. Different synthetic methods can yield GCDs with various properties, showing tremendous potential in sensors.