Extraction of Electrochemiluminescent Oxidized Carbon Quantum Dots from Activated Carbon

Abstract

A facile method has been developed to extract oxidized carbon quantum dots (QDs) directly from activated carbon (AC) by chemical oxidation. The method has several advantages including low cost, high yield of QDs (>10%), and large-scale production. The as-prepared oxidized carbon QDs are mainly graphitic structure nanocrystals of 3−4 nm in diameter, have abundant carboxyl groups at their surfaces, and exhibit strong electrochemiluminescent (ECL) activity, suggesting promising applications in ECL biosensing and imaging. The ECL properities, including ECL activities in the absence and presence of coreactants, effects of the size and surface passivation on the oxidized carbon QDs ECL were investigated and discussed in detail.