Mohammed Lazo J, Omer Khalid M
Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, American University of Iraq-Sulaimani, Sulaimani, 46001, Iraq.
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Qliasan Street, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, 46002, Iraq.
J Fluoresc. 2025 Jul 5. doi: 10.1007/s10895-025-04443-3.
Plastic waste represents a significant environmental concern due to its persistent non-biodegradability and the vast quantities generated globally. A promising solution involves converting this waste into value-added nanomaterials, particularly carbon dots (CDs), which exhibit distinctive photophysical properties. Among these, plastic waste-derived carbon dots (PW-CDs) have emerged as sustainable, low-cost, and efficient fluorescent nanomaterials with remarkable optical features, such as excitation-dependent emission, strong photostability, high quantum yield, and tunable fluorescence. These properties are critical for the sensitive and selective detection of heavy metal ions in environmental and biological systems. This review focuses on recent advancements in developing PW-CDs, with particular focus on how their fluorescence mechanisms, including surface state emission, quantum confinement effects, and energy or charge transfer interactions that enable precise and effective sensing of heavy metals like Ag, Cu, Hg, and Fe. We also compare PW-CDs with CDs derived from other sources, outline current challenges in achieving reproducibility and target selectivity, and explore emerging strategies in functionalization and hybrid integration. Repurposing plastic waste into functional carbon dots not only addresses the urgent issue of plastic pollution but also creates a pathway for sustainable material production with practical applications. PW-CDs exemplify an innovative approach to both environmental remediation and advanced nanotechnology.
由于塑料垃圾具有持久的不可生物降解性以及全球产生的数量巨大，它已成为一个重大的环境问题。一个有前景的解决方案是将这种垃圾转化为高附加值的纳米材料，特别是碳点（CDs），其具有独特的光物理性质。其中，源自塑料垃圾的碳点（PW-CDs）已成为可持续、低成本且高效的荧光纳米材料，具有显著的光学特性，如激发依赖发射、强光稳定性高、量子产率高以及荧光可调谐。这些特性对于在环境和生物系统中灵敏且选择性地检测重金属离子至关重要。本综述聚焦于开发PW-CDs的最新进展，特别关注其荧光机制，包括表面态发射、量子限域效应以及能量或电荷转移相互作用，这些机制能够精确有效地检测诸如银、铜、汞和铁等重金属。我们还将PW-CDs与源自其他来源的CDs进行比较，概述在实现可重复性和目标选择性方面当前面临的挑战，并探索功能化和混合集成方面的新兴策略。将塑料垃圾重新利用制成功能性碳点不仅解决了塑料污染这一紧迫问题，还为具有实际应用的可持续材料生产开辟了一条途径。PW-CDs是环境修复和先进纳米技术的一种创新方法。
