Issue 26, 2017

Facile synthesis of red-emitting carbon dots from pulp-free lemon juice for bioimaging

Abstract

In this work, red-emitting carbon dots (R-CDs) with a high quantum yield (QY) of 28% in water were synthesized for the first time by heating an ethanol solution of pulp-free lemon juice. The obtained R-CDs were mono-dispersed with an average diameter of 4.6 nm, and exhibited excitation-independent emission at 631 nm. Meanwhile, these R-CDs featured low cytotoxicity and good photostability, which allow R-CDs to be employed as luminescent probes for in vitro/in vivo bioimaging. In addition, a detailed study on the physical properties and structural compositions of the sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reduced R-CDs with orange emission suggested that surface states on the R-CD surfaces and nitrogen-derived structures in the R-CD cores synergistically caused their intense red luminescence. The low-cost and eco-friendly synthesis method and favorable optical properties of R-CDs make these carbon dots promising for further applications, such as bioimaging and light-emitting diodes.

Graphical abstract: Facile synthesis of red-emitting carbon dots from pulp-free lemon juice for bioimaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Apr 2017
Accepted
01 Jun 2017
First published
20 Jun 2017

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2017,5, 5272-5277

Facile synthesis of red-emitting carbon dots from pulp-free lemon juice for bioimaging

H. Ding, Y. Ji, J. Wei, Q. Gao, Z. Zhou and H. Xiong, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2017, 5, 5272 DOI: 10.1039/C7TB01130J

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