Carbon Nanodots: Toward a Comprehensive Understanding of Their Photoluminescence

• DOI: 10.1021/ja510183c
• Publication Date: 2014-11-05T21:25:25Z
• Authors: Volker Strauss; Johannes T. Margraf; Christian Dolle; Benjamin Butz; Thomas J. Nacken; Johannes Walter; Walter Bauer; Wolfgang Peukert; Erdmann Spiecker; Timothy Clark; Dirk M. Guldi
• Keywords: Nanodot; Carbon fibers; Characterization; Testbed

We report the characterization of carbon nanodots (CNDs) synthesized under mild and controlled conditions, that is, in a microwave reactor. The CNDs thus exhibit homogeneous narrowly dispersed optical properties. They are well suited as testbed for studies photophysics carbon-based nanoscopic emitters. In addition to steady-state investigations, time-correlated single-photon counting, fluorescence up-conversion, transient pump probe absorption spectroscopy were used elucidate excited-state dynamics. Moreover, quenching CND-based emission with electron donors or acceptors helped shed light on nature individual states. Density functional theory semiempirical configuration-interaction calculations model systems understand fundamental structure–property relationships this novel type material.