Properties, synthesis, and applications of carbon dots: A review

Carbon dots (CDs) refer to a class of carbon-based nanoparticles with various subgroups based on their crystallinity and morphology. CDs offer tuneable physical, chemical, and optical properties, which can be controlled using simple one-pot synthesis techniques. In addition, their non-toxicity, biocompatibility, chemical and physical responsiveness, resistance to photo- and chemical-bleaching and low cost pave the way to a wide range of applications. The synthesis of CDs can be achieved via two approaches: (i) the top-down methods, and (ii) bottom-up methods. These two approaches can be designed to generate the intended chemical structures with specific band gap, hetero-atom doping, and chemical functionality.…