1. ZnCl2 Enabled Synthesis of Highly Crystalline and Emissive Carbon Dots with Exceptional Capability to Generate O2⋅–
- Author
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Xiu-Long Yang, Yang Wang, Ke Feng, Nan Xie, Chen-Ho Tung, Chen Li, Bin Chen, Li-Zhu Wu, and Si-Meng Wei
- Subjects
Materials science ,Photoluminescence ,chemistry ,Carbonization ,Yield (chemistry) ,Photocatalysis ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Quantum yield ,General Materials Science ,Luminescence ,Photochemistry ,Carbon ,X-ray absorption fine structure - Abstract
Summary Highly crystalline and emissive carbon dots (CDs) are firstly synthesized via an ionothermal method in organic solvents. In contrast to well-established approaches, ZnCl2 is utilized as the pyrolysis-promoting agent to prepare emissive CDs with tunable wavelengths, directly by carbonization from different O and N precursors under a mild reaction condition at 210°C. More than 50% synthetic yield and 39% photoluminescent quantum yield (blue CD) are obtained. XAFS measurements, in conjunction with TEM, HAADF-STEM, UPS, and ESR analyses, allow us to obtain energy diagram configuration and confirm the luminescent nature of these hard-core structured CDs. Importantly, the resulting CDs exhibit excellent capability to photogenerate superoxide radical anion (O2⋅–), which can be exemplified by both photodynamic therapy and photooxidative cyclization synthesis of tetrahydroquinolines. Representative pharmaceutical mifepristone can be derivatized in 90% yield within 10 min of irradiation of the CDs in an elegant flow reactor.
- Published
- 2020