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ABSTRACT
Carbon dots (CDs) are quasi-spherical nanoparticles with at least one dimension less than 10 nm. They exhibit quantum confinement, showing light absorption in the UV-visible range and strong tunable emission across the visible spectrum [1].
In this research, CDs doped with nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus have been synthesized from sugarcane bagasse. These nanomaterials showed intense emission bands with maximum at 453, 463, and 440 nm, respectively. At JINR, the amounts of organic carbon and sp²-hybridized inorganic carbon in the CDs were quantified using oxythermography [2]. The presence of sp2 domains in CDs confined to dimensions below 10 nm is the main mechanism of fluorescence in these nanomaterials, so the studies contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon.
Photostability was evaluated over time, showing a decrease in fluorescence intensity within the first 48 hours after synthesis. However, over the following three weeks, the intensity remained stable, suggesting that the CDs continued to react initially before reaching a stable state. Currently studies are being conducted to apply CDs as hydroponic fertilizer for rice cultivation, due to their ability to absorb light in the UV range and emit it at a wavelength that chlorophyll and other plant pigments can absorb, expanding the range of the electromagnetic spectrum usable for photosynthesis [3]. This application represents a potential advantage for agricultural development, particularly in countries and regions with low light.
REFERENCES
1. Yanhong Liu, Hui Huang, Weijing Cao, Baodong Mao, Yang Liu, & Zhenhui Kang. (2020). Advances in carbon dots: from the perspective of traditional quantum dots. Materials Chemistry Frontiers, 4, 1586–1613. 10.1039/D0QM00090F
2. Vorobyeva, M. Y., Zuev, B. K., Filonenko, V. G., Rogovaya, I. v., & Filosofov, D. v. (2025). Oxythermography Method for Assessing Passive Adsorption of Organic Compounds on Surfaces of Solid Materials to Evaluate the 14C Contribution to the Background. Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 80(4), 731–737. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1061934825700157
3. Chaudhary, M., Singh, P., Singh, G. P., & Rathi, B. (2024). Structural Features of Carbon Dots and Their Agricultural Potential. In ACS Omega (Vol. 9, Issue 4, pp. 4166–4185). American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c04638
