Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Carbon Dots with Long-Wavelength Photoluminescence

Carbon dots have often been studied to investigate their unique optical properties such as excitation wavelength-independence emission. Carbon dots have also been shown to undergo electron transfer in different situations. This study endeavors to investigate the properties of carbon dots’ photoluminescence and electron transfer. Herein, the preparation and characterization of carbon dots which exhibit long wavelength photoluminescence has been reported. These carbon dots exhibit quenching when exposed to metal ions in proportion to the reduction potential of the metal, which experimental evidence has shown for the first time. This property of metal ion reduction potential-dependent quenching has been studied to show the collisional electron transfer from amine groups in carbon dots to the metal ions. Therefore, the photoluminescence in these carbon dots is directly related to organic functional groups on the surface of the carbon dots.