White-light Regulation in Invasive Plant-derived Carbon Dots Toward LED Implementation

To address dual challenges in managing the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides and addressing resource valorization demands, this study proposes a green and efficient utilization strategy: employing Alternanthera philoxeroides as carbon precursor to synthesize carbon dots (CDs) via one-step hydrothermal synthesis. Through innovative introduction of 1,5-naphthalenediamine as a conjugated structure modifier, single-component white-light-emitting carbon dots (W-CDs) were successfully prepared. This study demonstrates that the multiple amino groups of 1,5-naphthalenediamine condense with precursor carboxyl groups to form amide bonds, synergistically inducing a red shift in fluorescence. This process achieves broadband emission spanning 400-700 nm, with the quantum yield enhanced to 22%. Furthermore, W-CDs were integrated with epoxy resin to construct UV-excitable white LEDs, whose emission spectrum spans the visible region, demonstrating their potential for solid-state lighting applications. The research also proposes an eco-economic "waste-control-waste" strategy for invasive plant management while pioneering a green synthesis route for biomass-derived white carbon dots and their optoelectronic integration.