Recent trends in the use of green sources for carbon dot synthesis–A short review
Manju Kurian, Anju Paul
Abstract
Carbon dots, a class of zero dimensional nanomaterials have recently emerged as excellent candidates for versatile applications such as bioimaging, catalysis, sensing and drug delivery. They possess outstanding optical properties, low toxicity, high biocompatibility, and require simple low-cost synthesis methods. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been developed for the synthesis since its discovery. Various techniques such as laser ablation, chemical and electrochemical oxidations, thermolysis and sonolysis of carbon precursors have been reported for the synthesis of these key materials. Recently, the attention has been shifted to the synthesis of carbon dots from eco-friendly sources like biomass especially waste biomass as well as other waste, as these precursors provide a partial solution for the mitigation of the omnipresent problem of waste management. This review presents an overview of the various methods and precursors used in the synthetic strategies of carbon dots, with emphasis on green synthesis.