Carbon dots, as a promising nanomaterial, have been widely synthesized and applied in bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery. However, gel-state carbon dots have seldom been mentioned. Herein, citric acid and 1,2-ethylenediamine were employed to synthesize gel-like carbon dots (G-CDs). At different reaction temperatures, G-CDs were characterized to exhibit different properties, which revealed the influence of temperature on their structure. When it came to the purification and separation, a new systematic method was exploited. Compared with traditional dialysis or HPLC, G-CDs were purified and separated by acetone wash and reversed-phased TLC, respectively. As a result, G-CDs obtained four photoluminescent components, among which the highest quantum yield was 55%, which was nearly two times of that of G-CDs. In terms of application, G-CDs have been prepared as invisible ink for an inkjet printer and photostability of the printed contents was maintained for several months. Also, G-CDs can be used to detect the ions, especially Fe3+, which endows the possibility of G-CDs to be used in the biosensing of Fe3+ in vivo.

Gel-like carbon dots

254th National Meeting (2017)

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