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Nano Research 2018, 11(7): 3691-3701 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1937-0
Research Article | Issue | Published: 02 August 2018

Synthesis, mechanical investigation, and application of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots with a high photoluminescent quantum yield

Show Author's Information Quan Xu1( ),  Bofan Li1,  Yingchun Ye1,  Wei Cai1,  Weijun Li1,  Chuanyao Yang2,  Yusheng Chen3,  Meng Xu4,  Neng Li5( ),  Xusheng Zheng6,  Jason Street7,  Yan Luo8,  Lulu Cai2( )
State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil ProcessingChina University of Petroleum (Beijing)Beijing102249China
Department of PharmacySichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalSchool of MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu610072China
Department of ChemistryUniversity of AkronAkronOhio44325USA
Department of OrthopedicsGeneral Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation ArmyBeijing100853China
State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for ArchitecturesWuhan University of TechnologyWuhan430070China
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL)University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230029China
Department of Sustainable BioproductsMississippi State UniversityStarkvilleMS39762USA
Department of Chemical EngineeringWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWV26506USA
Keywords:
density functional theory, carbon dots, nanosensor, photoluminescence mechanism
Cite this article:
Xu Q, Li B, Ye Y, et al. Synthesis, mechanical investigation, and application of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots with a high photoluminescent quantum yield. Nano Research, 2018, 11(7): 3691-3701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1937-0
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Heteroatom-doped carbon dots (CDs) with a high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) have recently attracted attention due to their applications in chemical sensors, photocatalysis, bioimaging, and drug delivery. Nitrogen and phosphorus are in close proximity to carbon in the periodic table and are key tracking elements in the field of biomedical imaging. These two elements alter the optical and electronic properties of CDs and help improve the fundamental understanding of their PLQY. This can also lead to multifunctional usage in photoimaging and photothermal therapy. However, most PLQYs resulting from the synthesis of P-doped CDs are currently below 50%. These CDs have limited usefulness in the fields of bioimaging and drug delivery. In this study, a single-step, high-efficiency hydrothermal method was applied to synthesize nitrogen and phosphorous-doped carbon dots ((N, P)-CDs) with a PLQY of up to 53.8% with independent emission behavior. Moreover, the CDs presented high monodispersity, robust excitation-independent luminescence, and stability over a large pH range. Spectroscopic investigations indicated that the PLQY of the (N, P)-CDs was primarily due to the addition of P and the passivation effect of the oxidized surface. The excellent fluorescence properties of (N, P)-CDs can be effectively and selectively quenched by Hg2+ ions. Such systems show a linear response in the 0–900 nM concentration range with a short response time, indicating their potential for applications in the fields of chemistry and biology.


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Abstract
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Electronic supplementary material
About this article

Synthesis, mechanical investigation, and application of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots with a high photoluminescent quantum yield

Show Author's information Quan Xu1( ), Bofan Li1, Yingchun Ye1, Wei Cai1, Weijun Li1, Chuanyao Yang2, Yusheng Chen3, Meng Xu4, Neng Li5( ), Xusheng Zheng6, Jason Street7, Yan Luo8, Lulu Cai2( )
State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil ProcessingChina University of Petroleum (Beijing)Beijing102249China
Department of PharmacySichuan Academy of Medical Science & Sichuan Provincial People's HospitalSchool of MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu610072China
Department of ChemistryUniversity of AkronAkronOhio44325USA
Department of OrthopedicsGeneral Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation ArmyBeijing100853China
State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for ArchitecturesWuhan University of TechnologyWuhan430070China
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL)University of Science and Technology of ChinaHefei230029China
Department of Sustainable BioproductsMississippi State UniversityStarkvilleMS39762USA
Department of Chemical EngineeringWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWV26506USA

Abstract

Heteroatom-doped carbon dots (CDs) with a high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) have recently attracted attention due to their applications in chemical sensors, photocatalysis, bioimaging, and drug delivery. Nitrogen and phosphorus are in close proximity to carbon in the periodic table and are key tracking elements in the field of biomedical imaging. These two elements alter the optical and electronic properties of CDs and help improve the fundamental understanding of their PLQY. This can also lead to multifunctional usage in photoimaging and photothermal therapy. However, most PLQYs resulting from the synthesis of P-doped CDs are currently below 50%. These CDs have limited usefulness in the fields of bioimaging and drug delivery. In this study, a single-step, high-efficiency hydrothermal method was applied to synthesize nitrogen and phosphorous-doped carbon dots ((N, P)-CDs) with a PLQY of up to 53.8% with independent emission behavior. Moreover, the CDs presented high monodispersity, robust excitation-independent luminescence, and stability over a large pH range. Spectroscopic investigations indicated that the PLQY of the (N, P)-CDs was primarily due to the addition of P and the passivation effect of the oxidized surface. The excellent fluorescence properties of (N, P)-CDs can be effectively and selectively quenched by Hg2+ ions. Such systems show a linear response in the 0–900 nM concentration range with a short response time, indicating their potential for applications in the fields of chemistry and biology.

Keywords: density functional theory, carbon dots, nanosensor, photoluminescence mechanism

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 20 September 2017
Revised: 23 November 2017
Accepted: 25 November 2017
Published: 02 August 2018
Issue date: July 2018

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2017

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We thank the Beijing Nova Program (No. Z171100001117058), Beijing Nova program Interdisciplinary Studies Cooperative Project, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Project (No. Z161100001316010), State Key Laboratory of Silicate Materials for Architecture (No. SYSJJ2016-05), Medical Science Youth Training Program (No. 16PNQ145), Defense Technology Project Fund (No. 3408080), Translational Medicine Project of PLAGH (No. 2016TM-019), and the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (No. 81402216) for the support. This work was obtained with the resources and financial support of National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory in Hefei.

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