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Mocci F, de Villiers Engelbrecht L, Olla C, Cappai A, Casula MF, Melis C, Stagi L, Laaksonen A, Carbonaro CM. Carbon Nanodots from an In Silico Perspective. Chem Rev 2022; 122:13709-13799. [PMID: 35948072 PMCID: PMC9413235 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are the latest and most shining rising stars among photoluminescent (PL) nanomaterials. These carbon-based surface-passivated nanostructures compete with other related PL materials, including traditional semiconductor quantum dots and organic dyes, with a long list of benefits and emerging applications. Advantages of CNDs include tunable inherent optical properties and high photostability, rich possibilities for surface functionalization and doping, dispersibility, low toxicity, and viable synthesis (top-down and bottom-up) from organic materials. CNDs can be applied to biomedicine including imaging and sensing, drug-delivery, photodynamic therapy, photocatalysis but also to energy harvesting in solar cells and as LEDs. More applications are reported continuously, making this already a research field of its own. Understanding of the properties of CNDs requires one to go to the levels of electrons, atoms, molecules, and nanostructures at different scales using modern molecular modeling and to correlate it tightly with experiments. This review highlights different in silico techniques and studies, from quantum chemistry to the mesoscale, with particular reference to carbon nanodots, carbonaceous nanoparticles whose structural and photophysical properties are not fully elucidated. The role of experimental investigation is also presented. Hereby, we hope to encourage the reader to investigate CNDs and to apply virtual chemistry to obtain further insights needed to customize these amazing systems for novel prospective applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Mocci
- Department
of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University
of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy,
| | | | - Chiara Olla
- Department
of Physics, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Antonio Cappai
- Department
of Physics, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Maria Francesca Casula
- Department
of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, IT 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Claudio Melis
- Department
of Physics, University of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Luigi Stagi
- Department
of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Laboratory of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Aatto Laaksonen
- Department
of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University
of Cagliari, I-09042 Monserrato, Italy,Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden,State Key
Laboratory of Materials-Oriented and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China,Centre
of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, PetruPoni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Grigore Ghica-Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania,Division
of Energy Science, Energy Engineering, Luleå
University of Technology, Luleå 97187, Sweden,
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