Structural Characterization of Carbon Quantum Dots
FTIR analysis was conducted to identify the presence of functional groups in the synthesized carbon quantum dots. The FTIR spectrum provided information about the types of chemical bonds present in the carbon quantum dots, such as C = O, C ̶ N, C ̶ O, or C = C bonds. In FTIR spectroscopy, the wavenumber (cm−1) is used to represent the frequency of molecular vibrations. Figure 2 displays the FTIR spectrum of the carbon quantum dots, where various functional groups exhibit distinct peaks or bands at specific wavenumbers. The vibrations at 3300 cm−1 and 2930 cm−1 indicate the presence of N ̶ H/O ̶ H and C ̶ H bonds, respectively, suggesting the existence of amines or hydroxyl groups and methylidene groups within the CQDs. The vibration at 1641 cm− 1 and 1420 cm− 1 corresponds to aromatic C = C bonds, indicating the presence of aromatic ring systems within the CQDs. The vibration at 1540 cm− 1 signifies the presence of the –CONH- bond, indicating the possibility of amides. The vibrations at 1080 cm− 1 and 870 cm− 1 indicate the presence of C-O bonds and various types of C-H bonds, respectively, providing insights into the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups and different carbon-hydrogen moieties in the CQDs. The FTIR spectrum analysis of CQDs in this study provides valuable insights into their properties and potential applications. The presence of functional groups, such as N-H, O-H, and C-O bonds, indicated by peaks at 3300 cm− 1 and 1080 cm− 1, enhances the surface reactivity of CQDs, making them suitable for diverse applications. The presence of C-H bonds, signified by the peak at 2930 cm− 1, confirms the carbon-based structure of CQDs, enhancing their stability and compatibility with materials like graphene. The peak at 1540 cm− 1 indicates the presence of amide groups (-CONH- bond) which contribute to the CQDs' surface reactivity. The peaks at 1641 cm− 1 and 1420 cm− 1 suggest the presence of aromatic C = C bonds in the ring system, which enhances the optical properties, stability, and conductivity of CQDs.
Morphology of Carbon Quantum Dots
The HRTEM analysis of the carbon quantum dots provided important insights into their morphology and microstructure characteristics. Figure 3 shows the morphology and nanostructure of the CQD sample obtained from HRTEM observation. Figure 3a displays the HRTEM analysis results, indicating that the CQD particles possess a nearly spherical shape, characterized by a rounded and symmetrical appearance. The nearly spherical shape of the CQD particles suggests that they possess structural stability, size uniformity, an enhanced surface-to-volume ratio, and the capability to disperse effectively in different solutions. Additionally, this morphology offers the potential for distinctive optical properties. The close-to-spherical structure is advantageous as it enhances the stability of the CQDs, their dispersibility in diverse media, and their ability to interact with other substances or environments 28–30. A significant discovery was the identification of a honeycomb structure within the CQDs, exhibiting a pattern reminiscent of the hexagonal lattice observed in graphene and carbon nanotubes (Fig. 3b). This honeycomb structure offers several advantageous properties such as structural stability, excellent electrical conductivity, and a large surface area, which are highly desirable for various applications 28,31,32. Additionally, the HRTEM analysis revealed that the CQDs have a rhombus shape, indicating that they possess four sides of equal length with parallel opposite sides. This unique shape adds to their structural diversity and may impact their optical and surface properties33. Moreover, the analysis demonstrated that the lattice spacing within the honeycomb structure of the CQDs measures 0.24 nm. This lattice spacing indicates the nanoscale size and arrangement of carbon atoms within the CQDs 34–36.
Particle Size Analysis of Carbon Quantum Dots
Particle Size Analyzer (PSA) analysis is commonly employed to determine the size distribution of particles in a solution and characterize the size of carbon quantum dots. Through PSA analysis, the average size of carbon quantum dots is calculated, representing the central tendency or mean size of the particle population. In Fig. 4, the average size of carbon quantum dots was measured to be 6.3 nm. Additionally, the carbon quantum dots exhibit a broad size distribution, indicating variations in size and revealing the heterogeneous nature of the sample. This characteristic offers valuable insights into the diversity and non-uniformity of the carbon quantum dots present in the sample 34,37,38.
Zeta Potential of Carbon Quantum Dots
The Zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility are important parameters used to characterize the surface charge and movement of Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) in a solution. The Zeta potential represents the net electrical charge on the surface of the CQDs. In this case, the Zeta potential of -17.5 mV indicates that the CQDs have a negative surface charge as given in Fig. 5.
This negative charge arises from the presence of functional groups or chemical species on the surface of the CQDs that ionize in the solution, resulting in an accumulation of negatively charged particles around the CQDs. Electrophoretic mobility is a crucial parameter that measures the speed at which charged particles, in this case, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), move through a solution in response to an applied electric field. In this case, the electrophoretic mobility mean is -0.000135 cm²/Vs. Since the magnitude is relatively small (close to zero), it implies that the CQDs move slowly under the influence of the electric field. The presence of surface functional groups on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) is responsible for their negative charge and the migration towards the positive electrode in an electric field, resulting in negative values for both zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility. These surface functional groups typically consist of anionic chemical species or groups that contribute to the overall negative charge of the CQDs such as Carboxyl (-COOH), Hydroxyl (-OH), and Amino (-NH2).
Photoluminescence Spectra (PL)
Figure 6 displays the photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of the synthesized carbon quantum dots. The PL spectrum illustrates the emitted light when the CQDs are excited, providing insights into their optical properties. In this study, it was observed that the carbon quantum dots exhibited strong blue luminescence at a wavelength of 461 nm.
In contrast, the PLE spectrum demonstrates the absorbed light revealing the energy levels at which the CQDs can absorb photons and transition to higher energy states. In this scenario, the CQDs sample exhibits an absorption peak at 380 nm, leading to the emission of light at 450 nm when stimulated.
Electronic Transition Mechanism
The FTIR analysis of the carbon quantum dots sample provides valuable insights into the PLE process, shedding light on the electronic transitions and molecular properties that contribute to the observed excitation peaks. By correlating the FTIR data with the PLE measurements, we gain a deeper understanding of the involvement of specific functional groups, such as aromatic C = C bonds and C-O bonds, in the electronic transitions and luminescence mechanism of the CQDs. The π → π* transition of aromatic C = C bonds, observed as a small excitation peak at 244 nm, involves the excitation of π electrons from the valence band to higher energy π* antibonding orbitals. Additionally, the stronger excitation peak in the range of 300 nm to 420 nm corresponds to the n → π* transition of C-O bonds, where non-bonding (n) electrons are excited to the π* antibonding orbitals 33. These electronic transitions play a crucial role in the absorption and emission processes, with the aromatic C = C and C-O bonds contributing to the photoluminescence behavior of the CQDs 39,40.