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One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon Quantum Dots with Excellent Photoluminescent Properties and Catalytic Activity from Coke Powders

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Abstract

Water-soluble, high quantum yield, green color carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are prepared by acid reflux with the use of coke powders as a carbon source. The CQDs are characterized by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer and x-ray diffraction. The analysis includes the evaluation of key variables with effect in the synthetic process of the quantum yield (QY) of CQDs: the reaction temperature and time, the volume of mixed acid (concentrated H2SO4 and HNO3) and the pH value on the structure and properties of as-prepared CQDs. The results revealed that the optimal hydrothermal synthesis conditions for obtaining CQDs are reaction at 100 °C for 8 h, with the volume of mixed acid is 16 mL, at pH value 9. The prepared CQDs have the activity of peroxidase-like and that quantum yield(QY)reached 34.27%.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Nature Science Foundation of China (21472143), the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2017CFB680), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy (Wuhan University of Science and Technology) of China (G201703) and Key Laboratory of Measurement and Control System for Offshore Environment, Fuqing Branch of Fujian Normal University, Fujian Province University (S1-KF1604), Guiding Projects of Fujian Province (2018H0013), and Key Natural Fund Projects of Universities in Fujian Province (JZ160490).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy (Wuhan University of Science and Technology), Wuhan, 430081, People’s Republic of China

    Ling Ding & Feng Liang

  2. Coal Conversion and New Carbon Materials Hubei Key Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, People’s Republic of China

    Ling Ding, Kuntao Huang, Jin Zhou, Huan He, Zeze Peng, Sobhan Chatterjee & Feng Liang

  3. Key Laboratory of Measurement and Control System for Offshore Environment, Fuqing Branch of Fujian Normal University, Fujian Province University, Fuqing, 350300, People’s Republic of China

    Ling Ding & Shiqian Li

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  1. Ling Ding
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Correspondence to Feng Liang.

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Ding, L., Huang, K., Li, S. et al. One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of Carbon Quantum Dots with Excellent Photoluminescent Properties and Catalytic Activity from Coke Powders. J Fluoresc 30, 151–156 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-019-02480-3

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