Fabrication of carbon quantum dots via ball milling and their application to bioimaging

Revolutionizing nanozymes: The synthesis, enzyme-mimicking capabilities of carbon dots, and advancements in catalytic mechanisms

Nanozymes, a revolutionary category of engineered artificial enzymes based on nanomaterials, have been developed to overcome the inherent limitations of natural enzymes, such as the high cost associated with storage and their fragility. Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as compelling candidates for various applications due to their versatile properties. Particularly noteworthy are CDs with a range of surface functional groups that exhibit enzyme-like behavior, combining exceptional performance with catalytic capabilities. This review explores the methodologies used for synthesizing CDs with enzyme mimicking capabilities, highlighting potential avenues such as doping and hybrid nanozymes to enhance their catalytic efficacy. Moreover, a comprehensive overview of CDs that mimick the activities of various oxidoreductases-like peroxidase, catalase, oxidase/laccase, and superoxide dismutase-like is provided. The focus is on the in-depth exploration of the mechanisms, advancements and practical applications of each oxidoreductase-like function exhibited by CD nanozymes. Drawing upon these exhaustive summaries and analyses, the review identifies the prevailing challenges that hinder the seamless integration of CDs into real-world applications and offers forward-looking perspectives for future directions.

Large Scale Synthesis of Carbon Dots and Their Applications: A Review

Carbon dots (CDs), a versatile class of fluorescent carbon-based nanomaterials, have attracted widespread attention due to their exceptional optical properties, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness. Their applications span biomedicine, optoelectronics, and smart food packaging, yet large-scale synthesis remains a significant challenge. This review categorizes large-scale synthesis methods into liquid-phase (hydrothermal/solvothermal, microwave-assisted, magnetic hyperthermia, aldol condensation polymerization), gas-phase (plasma synthesis), solid-phase (pyrolysis, oxidation/carbonization, ball milling), and emerging techniques (microfluidic, ultrasonic, molten-salt). Notably, microwave-assisted and solid-state synthesis methods show promise for industrial production due to their scalability and efficiency. Despite these advances, challenges persist in optimizing synthesis reproducibility, reducing energy consumption, and developing purification methods and quality control strategies. Addressing these issues will be critical for transitioning CDs from laboratory research to real-world applications.

Assessment of biomass-derived carbon dots as highly sensitive and selective templates for the sensing of hazardous ions

Access to safe drinking water and a hygienic living environment are the basic necessities that encourage healthy living. However, the presence of various pollutants (especially toxic heavy metal ions) at high concentrations in water renders water unfit for drinking and domestic use. The presence of high concentrations of heavy-metal ions (e.g., Pb2+, Hg2+, Cr6+, Cd2+, or Cu2+) greater than their permissible limits adversely affects human health, and increases the risk of cancer of the kidneys, liver, skin, and central nervous system. Therefore, their detection in water is crucial. Due to the various benefits of "green"-synthesized carbon-dots (C-dots) over other materials, these materials are potential candidates for sensing of toxic heavy-metal ions in water sources. C-dots are very small carbon-based nanomaterials that show chemical stability, magnificent biocompatibility, excitation wavelength-dependent photoluminescence (PL), water solubility, simple preparation strategies, photoinduced electron transfer, and the opportunity for functionalization. A new family of C-dots called "carbon quantum dots" (CQDs) are fluorescent zero-dimensional carbon nanoparticles of size < 10 nm. The green synthesis of C-dots has numerous advantages over conventional chemical routes, such as utilization of inexpensive and non-poisonous materials, straightforward operations, rapid reactions, and renewable precursors. Natural sources, such as biomass and biomass wastes, are broadly accepted as green precursors for fabricating C-dots because these sources are economical, ecological, and readily/extensively accessible. Two main methods are available for C-dots production: top-down and bottom-up. Herein, this review article discusses the recent advancements in the green fabrication of C-dots: photostability; surface structure and functionalization; potential applications for the sensing of hazardous anions and toxic heavy-metal ions; binding of toxic ions with C-dots; probable mechanistic routes of PL-based sensing of toxic heavy-metal ions. The green production of C-dots and their promising applications in the sensing of hazardous ions discussed herein provides deep insights into the safety of human health and the environment. Nonetheless, this review article provides a resource for the conversion of low-value biomass and biomass waste into valuable materials (i.e., C-dots) for promising sensing applications.

Synthesis, properties and potential applications of photoluminescent carbon nanoparticles: A review

Photoluminescent-carbon nanoparticles (PL-CNPs) are a new class of materials that received immense interest among researchers due to their distinct characteristics, including photoluminescence, high surface-to-volume ratio, low cost, ease of synthesis, high quantum yield, and biocompatibility. By exploiting these outstanding properties, many studies have been reported on its utility as sensors, photocatalysts, probes for bio-imaging, and optoelectronics applications. From clinical applications to point-of-care test devices, drug loading to tracking of drug delivery, and other research innovations demonstrated PL-CNPs as an emerging material that could substitute conventional approaches. However, some of the PL-CNPs have poor PL properties and selectivity due to the presence of impurities (e.g., molecular fluorophores) and unfavourable surface charges by the passivation molecules, which impede their applications in many fields. To address these issues, many researchers have been paying great attention to developing new PL-CNPs with different composite combinations to achieve high PL properties and selectivity. Herein, we thoroughly discussed the recent development of various synthetic strategies employed to prepare PL-CNPs, doping effects, photostability, biocompatibility, and applications in sensing, bioimaging, and drug delivery fields. Moreover, the review discussed the limitations, future direction, and perspectives of PL-CNPs in possible potential applications.

Preparation of AuNP-CQD/PDA/GO anode for MFC and its treatment of oily sewage from ships

Oily sewage discharged from ships has brought many harms to the marine environment, even endangered marine life and human life. As a new type of water treatment technology, microbial fuel cell (MFC) can efficiently treat pollutants and recover energy, which can be converted into electric energy. However, its large internal resistance restricts its development. In order to solve the problems of low power generation performance and poor biocompatibility of microbial fuel cell, a gold nanoparticle-carbon quantum dot/polydopamine/graphene oxide/bacterial cellulose (AuNP-CQD/PDA/GO/BC) electrode was prepared, and it was applied to the treatment of oily sewage from ships. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and contact angle measuring instrument were used to characterize the electrode. The results show that PDA bridges GO and AuNP-CQD particles through the electrostatic interaction/π-π bond/hydrogen bonding, respectively. This attracts a large number of microorganisms to attach to the surface of the porous anode material, which greatly improves the activity and quantity of microorganisms. Moreover, the maximum power density of AuNP-CQD/PDA/GO/BC electrode is 2624.91 mW/m², which obviously improves the electrochemical performance of MFC. The oil content of the treated water is ≤ 15 mg/L, reaching the discharge of MARPOL 73/78 convention. Therefore, the proposed approach has paved new dimensions in not only the preparation of a new composite electrode materials but also its applications as effective degradation of ship oily sewage in MFC.

A critical review on the environmental applications of carbon dots

The discovery of zero-dimensional carbonaceous nanostructures called carbon dots (CDs) and their unique properties associated with fluorescence, quantum confinement and size effects have intrigued researchers. There has been a substantial increase in the amount of research conducted on the lines of synthesis, characterization, modification, and enhancement of properties by doping or design of composite materials, and a diversification of their applications in sensing, catalysis, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and imaging, among many others. CDs fulfill the need for inexpensive, simple, and continuous environmental monitoring, detection, and remediation of various contaminants such as metals, dyes, pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals. The principles of green chemistry have also prompted researchers to rethink novel modes of nanoparticle synthesis by incorporating naturally available carbon precursors or developing micro reactor-based techniques. Photocatalysis using CDs has introduced the possibility of utilizing light to accelerate redox chemical transformations. This comprehensive review aims to provide the reader with a broader perspective of carbon dots by encapsulating the concepts of synthesis, characterization, applications in contaminant detection and photocatalysis, demerits and research gaps, and potential areas of improvement.

Halogen-Doped Carbon Dots: Synthesis, Application, and Prospects

Carbon dots (CDs) have many advantages, such as tunable photoluminescence, large two-photon absorption cross-sections, easy functionalization, low toxicity, chemical inertness, good dispersion, and biocompatibility. Halogen doping further improves the optical and physicochemical properties of CDs, extending their applications in fluorescence sensors, biomedicine, photocatalysis, anti-counterfeiting encryption, and light-emitting diodes. This review briefly describes the preparation of CDs via the "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches and discusses the preparation methods and applications of halogen (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine)-doped CDs. The main challenges of CDs in the future are the elucidation of the luminescence mechanism, fine doping with elements (proportion, position, etc.), and their incorporation in practical devices.