Debes Paul P, Schatz Dominic, Aydogan-Sun Yagmur, Martínez Juan Pablo, Langer Michal, Hessling Janis, Gallego Jaime, Menna Enzo, Smarsly Bernd M, Schönhoff Monika, Osella Silvio, Wachtveitl Josef, Wegner Hermann A, Gatti Teresa
Center for Materials Research, Justus Liebig University Heinrich-Buff-Ring 16 35392 Giessen Germany.
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17 35392 Giessen Germany.
J Mater Chem C Mater. 2025 May 7. doi: 10.1039/d5tc00116a.
The covalent surface functionalization of carbon nanodots (CNDs) can facilitate the design and development of nanocarbon hybrids with photoswitching properties, which can be applied in a wide range of applications, including sensing, optoelectronics, and even bio-applications. This study underscores the potential utilization of these hybrids as photoresponsive materials, for potential application in optostimulation. In this study, we examine the characteristics of covalent azobenzene-functionalized CNDs, with a particular emphasis on the impact of and connectivity and the additional introduction of a glycine spacer. The CND synthesis process comprises a bottom-up microwave condensation of ethylenediamine and citric acid. Amide coupling to azobenzenes is confirmed through NMR diffusion-ordered spectroscopy and diffusion decay analysis. A comprehensive investigation is conducted into the size and optical properties of the resulting hybrids. Moreover, time-dependent density functional theory computations are employed to understand absorption spectra and charge transfer events. Furthermore, advanced optical characterisation is utilised to examine energy/charge transfer between the constituents. Finally, the switching properties, fatigue resistance, and half-life of the hybrids are studied to evaluate their performance for prospective applications like in optostimulation.
碳纳米点（CNDs）的共价表面功能化能够促进具有光开关特性的纳米碳杂化物的设计与开发，这类杂化物可应用于广泛的领域，包括传感、光电子学，甚至生物应用。本研究强调了这些杂化物作为光响应材料的潜在用途，可用于光刺激方面的潜在应用。在本研究中，我们研究了共价偶氮苯功能化碳纳米点的特性，特别关注其连接性以及额外引入甘氨酸间隔基的影响。碳纳米点的合成过程包括乙二胺和柠檬酸的自下而上的微波缩合反应。通过核磁共振扩散排序谱和扩散衰减分析确认了与偶氮苯的酰胺偶联。对所得杂化物的尺寸和光学性质进行了全面研究。此外，采用含时密度泛函理论计算来理解吸收光谱和电荷转移事件。此外，利用先进的光学表征来研究各组分之间的能量/电荷转移。最后，研究了杂化物的开关特性、抗疲劳性和半衰期，以评估它们在光刺激等预期应用中的性能。
