Recent advances in synthesis and applications of room temperature phosphorescence carbon dots

Recently, room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) feature of carbon dots (CDs) has gradually diverted researchers' attention from fluorescence and sparks new research boom due to its ultra-long luminescence lifetime and large Stokes shift. Some attempts have been made to construct CDs-based RTP materials, and had seen some important progress. However, few review articles were published to systematically summarize them. Herein, we summarize the recent synthesis advances of the RTP CDs, mainly focusing on matrix-assisted method and self-protection method. Different construction methodologies lead to different RTP properties and luminescence mechanisms. Based on this fact, we discuss the correlation between them and further summarize their potential applications in sensing, light-emitting diodes, anti-counterfeiting, and information protection filed. Finally, the currently existing problems and development perspectives of CDs-based RTP materials was proposed.