White Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Specific Fe³⁺ Detection and Imaging Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile fluorescent nanomaterials used in various fields.
• Monochromatic fluorescence limits the application scope of traditional CDs.
• Developing multicolor or white light-emitting CDs is crucial for expanded applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize white fluorescent carbon dots (WF-CDs) with tunable emission properties.
• To investigate the potential of WF-CDs for sensitive detection of Fe3+ ions.
• To explore the practical applications of WF-CDs in cell imaging, NIR imaging, and anti-counterfeiting.

Main Methods:

• Solvothermal synthesis method was employed for WF-CDs preparation.
• Nitrogen doping was utilized to achieve multicolor emission.
• Solvent type and pH adjustments were used to tune emission intensity and achieve full-wavelength emission.
• Fluorescence extinction was measured for Fe3+ ion detection.

Main Results:

• Synthesized WF-CDs exhibit distinct emission peaks at 400 nm (blue), 490 nm (green), and 640 nm (red).
• Full-wavelength emission was achieved by manipulating solvent and pH.
• WF-CDs demonstrated high sensitivity for Fe3+ detection with a fluorescence elimination rate of 95.34%.
• Successful demonstration of WF-CDs in cell-level imaging, near-infrared fluorescence imaging, and UV anti-counterfeiting.

Conclusions:

• The developed WF-CDs offer tunable, multicolor fluorescence, overcoming the limitations of monochromatic CDs.
• WF-CDs show significant potential as sensitive probes for Fe3+ detection.
• These WF-CDs have broad applicability in nanomedicine, industrial manufacturing, and security features.