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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
Self-assembly facilitated and visible light-driven generation of carbon dots
Tian Huang1, Tongyue Wu, Zhiyang Zhu
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institution College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Abstract:
Carbon dots (CDs) with an absolute fluorescence quantum yield of 87% are facilely prepared via irradiation of self-assembled terthiophene amphiphile TTC4L in aqueous solution by mild visible light. Visible light irradiation of TTC4L triggers the production of superoxide radicals in water, which oxidize the closely packed terthiophene group into carbon dots. Our results reveal that the molecular self-assembly may act as important precursor for the generation of single molecule-like carbon dots; this method paves the way for the fabrication of CDs of high quality.
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