Zheng Nanzhi, Yang Yuchen, Huang Wenhao, Zhang Jianting, Chen Guohua
Graphene Powder & Composite Materials Research Center of Fujian Province., The Xiamen Key Laboratory of Polymers & Electronic Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, PR China.
College of Chemistry and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, PR China.
Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2025 Dec 15;343:126562. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126562. Epub 2025 Jun 15.
Red fluorescent carbon dots (RCDs) have garnered significant attention in the fields of lighting and bioimaging due to their exceptional optical properties and favorable biocompatibility. However, existing synthesis strategies often involve complex processes and rely on expensive, toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which fundamentally limit their yield and applicability. In this study, RCDs with a high quantum yield of 45 % were synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method using citric acid and urea as precursors, with boric acid as a catalyst. The introduction of boric acid induced a red shift in the fluorescence emission wavelength of the carbon dots from 468 nm to 651 nm. The yield of high-purity RCDs extracted from the crude product increased from 1 % to 55.4 %, and they could be easily separated via centrifugation. These RCDs significantly enhanced the color rendering performance of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and demonstrated satisfactory biocompatibility for cell imaging applications. Notably, the catalytic activity of boric acid was also observed in the synthesis of RCDs from other precursors, resulting in varying degrees of red shift in the fluorescence emission wavelength. This study establishes a foundation for environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and scalable synthesis of RCDs.
红色荧光碳点（RCDs）因其优异的光学性能和良好的生物相容性，在照明和生物成像领域受到了广泛关注。然而，现有的合成策略通常涉及复杂的过程，并且依赖于昂贵、有毒的多环芳烃，这从根本上限制了它们的产量和适用性。在本研究中，以柠檬酸和尿素为前驱体，硼酸为催化剂，通过一步溶剂热法合成了量子产率高达45%的RCDs。硼酸的引入使碳点的荧光发射波长从468nm红移至651nm。从粗产物中提取的高纯度RCDs的产率从1%提高到55.4%，并且可以通过离心轻松分离。这些RCDs显著提高了白光发光二极管（LEDs）的显色性能，并在细胞成像应用中表现出令人满意的生物相容性。值得注意的是，在以其他前驱体合成RCDs的过程中也观察到了硼酸的催化活性，导致荧光发射波长发生不同程度的红移。本研究为RCDs的环境可持续、经济高效且可扩展的合成奠定了基础。
