Issue 30, 2014

Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials: “quantum dots” or nanoclusters?

Abstract

Despite many efforts, the mechanisms of light absorption and emission of small fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (C-dots) are still unresolved and are a subject of active discussion. In this work we address the question as to whether the fluorescence is a collective property of these nanoparticles or they are composed of assembled individual emitters. Selecting three types of C-dots with “violet”, “blue” and “green” emissions and performing a detailed study of fluorescence intensity, lifetime and time-resolved anisotropy as a function of excitation and emission wavelengths together with the effect of viscogen and dynamic fluorescence quencher, we demonstrate that the C-dots represent assemblies of surface-exposed fluorophores. They behave as individual emitters, display electronic anisotropy, do not exchange their excited-state energies via homo-FRET and possibly display sub-nanosecond intra-particle mobility.

Graphical abstract: Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials: “quantum dots” or nanoclusters?

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Jan 2014
Accepted
03 Jun 2014
First published
26 Jun 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 16075-16084

Author version available

Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials: “quantum dots” or nanoclusters?

M. O. Dekaliuk, O. Viagin, Y. V. Malyukin and A. P. Demchenko, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 16075 DOI: 10.1039/C4CP00138A

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