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Hydrothermal Synthesis of Photoluminescent Nanocarbon from Hydroxylic Acids and Amines

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Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized from various pairs of hydroxylic acids and amines under hydrothermal conditions. Citric acid (CA) was paired with ethylenediamine (EDA) and the methylated analogues, and malic acid (MA), tartaric acid (TA) and mucic acid (MuA) were coupled with EDA. While the CDs from CA with EDA show strong photoluminescence, CA paired with the methyl-capped EDA derivatives gives less photoluminescent nanocarbons with a similar size of ~2 nm. The CDs from MA and TA with EDA show emission at shorter wavelengths than those from CA and MuA. The quantum yields of the CDs from CA and MA with EDA increase with the reaction time, which may be explained by modifications of the chemical structures of the CDs.

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Acknowledgments

Y. H. is thankful to Prof. Koh-hei Nitta at Kanazawa University for his continuous encouragement for this work. This work was financially supported by Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program (A-STEP) of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The TEM images were measured at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), supported by Nanotechnology Platform Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Materials Science, Kanazawa University, Kakuma Campus, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Yusuke Hiejima

  2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 4-2-1 Nigatake, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, 983-8551, Japan

    Mitsuhiro Kanakubo

Authors
  1. Yusuke Hiejima
  2. Mitsuhiro Kanakubo

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yusuke Hiejima.

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Hiejima, Y., Kanakubo, M. Hydrothermal Synthesis of Photoluminescent Nanocarbon from Hydroxylic Acids and Amines. J Solution Chem 45, 1560–1570 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10953-016-0531-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10953-016-0531-5

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