Fluorescent cellulosic composites based on carbon dots: Recent advances, developments, and applications

Cellulose and its derivatives are highly applicable in advanced applications on the basis of fluorescence phenomena. Carbon dots (CDs) have also appealing properties, such as high photoluminescence, easy synthesis pathway, cheap source materials, chemical stability, and easy functionalization. In this regard, combination of luminescent CDs with natural cellulosic materials could adjust or expand its desirable properties and have advanced applications. This review summarizes chemical and physical incorporation of CDs and graphene quantum dots into different types of cellulosic materials to yield smart fluorescent materials with applications in films, catalysts, bioimaging, drug delivery, anticounterfeiting, and fluorescence chemosensors for sensing pH, temperature, cations, anions, glucose, and aromatic amines. The challenges and future directions in fluorescent materials based on CDs are also briefly discussed. We hope that these studies will provide more consideration and curiosity for chemists, biologists, and materials scientists working in the field of fluorescent and CDs-containing cellulosic materials.