A brief review on the synthesis, characterisation and analytical applications of nitrogen doped carbon dots

Since their discovery in 2004, fluorescent carbon nanoparticles have been tremendously studied due to their tunable optical properties. Recent studies on the synthesis and application of doped carbon dots highlight the effortless doping strategy with high quantum yields and applications in diverse fields. Among these, nitrogen doped carbon dots (NCDs) have been extensively investigated for their potential analytical and biological applications. This review features the synthetic methods and important characterisation studies required to verify successful synthesis of nitrogen doped carbon dots. Analytical applications of NCDs in metal ion, biomolecule, temperature, pH and gas sensing along with cell imaging and drug delivery applications are also discussed.

Automated summary

Nitrogen doped carbon dots, with tunable optical properties and easy doping strategy, have been widely studied and applied in various fields. The focus is on synthetic methods and characterization studies to confirm successful synthesis of NCDs. NCDs show potential advantages in analytical applications such as metal ion, biomolecule, temperature, pH and gas sensing, as well as in cell imaging and drug delivery applications.