Delineating the core and surface state heterogeneity of carbon dots during electron transfer

Abstract

˙ generation yield after the irradiation of UV and visible light (exciting the core and surface state). The result indicates that the graphitic nitrogen content in the core state and the oxygen-containing functional group in the surface state play an important role in the heterogeneity in the structure and the ET process. Our findings on the fundamental understanding of the heterogeneity of different emissive C-Dots will provide a new way of designing and developing a metal-free light-harvesting system.