Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Optimizing The Fluorescent Quantum Yield Of Carbon Dots, Megan B. Prado

MSU Graduate Theses

Carbon dots (CDs) are a subclass of carbon nanomaterials that exhibit unique properties of fluorescence, photostability, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. These unique properties have enabled numerous applications including biosensing, heavy-metal detection, and pH-sensing, among others. Their optical properties can be modified via doping to produce increasingly fluorescent CDs after appropriate purification. Herein, doped CDs were synthesized in four bottom-up methods for comparison using sucrose or citric acid as carbon precursors. Varying hetero-atom dopants (N, S, B) were used in differing molar ratios. The pH-dependent fluorescence and fluorescent quantum yield (QY) were measured for each sample. Characterization was conducted using Fourier-Transform …