Abstract

In the last few decades, significant advances were achieved in the research of carbon nanomaterials. Nowadays, the nanocarbon family spans from fullerene, the first member, to carbon dots (C-Dots), the last to join. C-Dots are a fascinating class of nanocarbons that comprise quasi-spherical nanoparticles with sizes below 10 nm. They typically display excitation wavelength-dependent, excellent photostability, high-water solubility and good biocompatibility. Furthermore, they can be easily functionalized with biomolecules. Due to these unique properties, C-Dots have gained tremendous attention for their enormous potential in many applications, especially in the biomedical field.

C-Dots with tunable near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence emission promise an excellent bioapplication potential, especially in bioimaging. However, the synthesis of such dots is still in its infancy, and the origin of NIR fluorescence that could guide the synthesis is not yet

understood. This talk will give you an overview of the C-Dots family with a special focus on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with NIR emission. From its obtaining through a bottom-up approach by microwave-assisted pyrolysis to a plausible mechanism to explain their unique

optical properties. Finally, their potential as a bioimaging platform will be demonstrated.