Fabrication, characterization and response surface method optimization for quantum efficiency of fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots obtained from carboxymethylcellulose of oil palms empty fruit bunch

Bio based nitrogen doped carbon dots(N-CDs)were obtained from empty fruit bunch carboxymethylcellulose and ethylenediamine(EDA)through one-pot hydrothermal carbonization route.The optimum as-formed NCDs were thoroughly characterized via Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),high-resolution TEM(HRTEM),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR),X-ray photoelectron spectra(XPS),UV–vis spectra(UV–Vis)and Fluorescence spectra(PL).Response surface methodology was statistically used to assess three independent variables that have major influence on the fluorescence quantum yield(QY),including temperature(230–270℃),time(2–6 h)and EDA mass(10%–23.3%).Based on analysis of variance(ANOVA)results,synthesis temperature was found to be the most influential factor on the QY,followed by time and EDA mass.Higher temperature,long synthesis time and high amount of EDA were satisfactorily enough for efficient carbonization conversion rate and obtaining highest QY of N-CDs.The obtained quadratic model(R^2=0.9991)shows a good correlation between the experimental data and predicted values.The optimum synthetic parameters are of 270℃temperature,6 h reaction time and 23.3%of EDA mass.The optimized as-made N-CDs exhibited blue photoluminescence with both excitation dependent/independent phenomena and high nitrogen content.The maximum emission intensity was 426 nm at a maximum excitation wavelength of 320 nm,with a QY of up to 22.9%.XPS and FTIR data confirmed the existence of polar containing groups,such as carbonyl,carboxyl,hydroxyl and amino groups over the surface of N-CDs whereas nitrogen species in the form of(pyridinic and graphitic-N)were introduced in the aromatic carbon domains,which imparts the hydrophilic and photostability of N-CDs.Taking into account the low-cost and sustainable production of N-CDs,this method considered a feasible route for converting low quality waste into value-added nanomaterials and utilizing for different functionalization processes and analytical applications.

Preparation of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Dots from Coke Powder as a Fluorescent Chemosensor for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Cr (Ⅵ)

The nitrogen-doped carbon dots(N-CDs)were prepared by using coke powder as carbon source and one-step hydrothermal method.The N-CDs were studied as a fluorescent chemosensor for determining Cr(Ⅵ)in water.The selective,sensitive,reproducibility and stability of as-prepared N-CDs were investigated.The morphology,composition and properties of N-CDs were characterized by a series of methods.The fluorescence quenching of N-CDs by Cr(Ⅵ)was explored.The experimental results reveal that the obtained N-CDs have great hydrophilicity and strong luminescence properties,which demonstrates the successful doping of nitrogen into the CDs.The surface-active groups and emission wavelength range of CDs increase due to the electronegativity and electron donor effect of doping N atom.Furthermore,the N-CDs exhibit good photochemical properties for the detection of Cr(Ⅵ),including a wide linear range from 0.3 to 200μM(R^(2)=0.9935)and a low detection limit of 0.10μM at the signal-to-noise ratio of 3(S/N=3).Moreover,the N-CDs as a sensor was used successfully for Cr(Ⅵ)detection in real water samples with recovery rates of 99.9%-110.6%.This sensor also shows highly reproducibility and stability.The N-CDs fluorescent chemical sensor may be a potential candidate for applying in the field of other fluorescent chemical sensing,catalysis,photoelectric devices and other fields.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots as efficient turn-on fluorescent probe for assay of organophosphorus pesticides

Concerns regarding human health and food safety have generated interest in developing simple,accurate,and cost-effective strategies for evaluating organophosphorus pesticide(OP)residues.In this study,nitrogen-doped carbon dots(N-CDs)were synthesized from a common low-cost precursor via a simple pyrolysis process.The fluorescence of the N-CDs can be suppressed by p-nitrophenol,which is the hydrolysis product of the p-nitrophenyl phosphate salt catalyzed by alkaline phosphatase(ALP).A fluorescent turn-on assay for the inhibitory effect of glyphosate was developed with a low detection limit and wide linear range.Moreover,the feasibility of visualizing OPs in vegetables was demonstrated by the fluorescence imaging of glyphosate on cabbage leaves.This research not only offers a facile method for the synthesis of highly fluorescent CDs but also inspires the development of effective multi-mode sensing platforms that include fluorescent testing and imaging for monitoring pesticide residues.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots as photocatalysts for organic synthesis:Effect of nitrogen content on catalytic activity

Regulating the doping of carbon dots(CDs)and the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS)is essential to selectively control their application in photocatalytic organic reactions.This study successfully synthesized five newly developed nitrogen-doped carbon dots(CDs 1-5)with varying nitrogen content,which have the ability to generate ROS when exposed to light radiation,specifically superoxide anion radicals(O_(2)•-)and singlet oxygen(^(1)O_(2)).The utilization of the aforementioned nitrogen-doped CDs as photocatalysts enables the realization of their potential in facilitating efficient photocatalytic organic conversion.Simultaneously,it was observed that the photocatalytic efficiency exhibited a gradual decrease when the nitrogen content in the CDs increased.In order to provide more evidence for this claim,we employed a set of five CDs in the context of photocatalytic dehalogenation ofα-bromoacetophenone,photocatalytic oxidative coupling reaction of amines to imines,photooxidation reaction of sulfides to sulfoxides,and cross-dehydrogenation coupling(CDC)reaction,in which it was further observed that there was a steady decrease in the yields of photocatalytic organic reactions as the nitrogen content in CDs increased.Notably,CDs 1 exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency,thereby reinforcing the hypothesis that a higher nitrogen content corresponds to a decreased catalytic efficiency.This study not only investigates the impact of the nitrogen content on the catalytic performance of CDs,but also offers valuable insights for the future utilization of CDs for photocatalytic organic reactions in water.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots-modified Prussian blue with sandwichlike structure as a high-performance electrochromic material

Prussian blue(PB),as a promising inorganic electrochromic material(ECM),has been widely used in smart windows,displays,sensors,etc.However,there are still many challenges for PB to achieve high electrochromic performance.Herein,we synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon dots-modified PB film(defined as PB@N-CDs)with a sandwich-like structure by a simple stepwise electrodeposition method.The carbon dots show an obvious advantage in ultrafast electron transfer ability,which can reduce charge loss during the transfer process,improve the electrochemical activity on both sides of PB,and thus facilitate a rapid electrochromic response.Furthermore,the surface of nitrogen-doped carbon dots contains multiple organic functional groups,which widen the movement path of K+ions under electrostatic adsorption.Impressively,the PB@N-CDs film exhibits a short bleaching/coloring time(0.5/0.9 s)and a superior optical modulation range(78.6%).Particularly,the coloring efficiency has been significantly improved to 137.71 cm^(2)/C(at 700 nm).All of these results open up new avenues for developing highperformance PB-based ECMs and promoting their applications in corresponding electrochromic devices(ECDs)and smart windows.

Synthesis of cell-penetrated nitrogen-doped carbon dots by hydrothermal treatment of eggplant sepals

Novel nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots were successfully fabricated by a hydrothermal method wxth eggplam sepals as carbon source. The carbon materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, UV-Vis adsorption, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, fluorescence and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） measurements, respectively. The carbon quantum dots showed excellent photoluminescence property with high stability in phosphate buffer solution with different pH values from 5 to 9, even in the cell culture medium supplied with the fetal bovine serum. Meanwhile, we also studied the interaction of carbon quantum dots with living HeLa cells with confocal microscopy. Our results indicated that the carbon quantum dots can enter the living HeLa cells by cellular penetration.

Nitrogen-doped Carbon Dots: Application of Hg Ions Detection in Rannasangpei

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots(N-CDs) were hydrothermally synthesized by folic acid, which revealed excited wavelengtli-dependent blue emission and the specific recognition ofHg ions by fluorescence quenching. A wide range response and a fitted linear relationsliip for Hg ions detection were established to show that tliese blue-emission N-CDs achieved a satisfying Hg ions detection in Chinese traditional herb, Rannasaiigpei(RSNP). Tlie results from the N-CDs FL quenching gave the similar outcomes with those from ICP-OES measurement, which exhibited the possibility of the simple FL method of Hg ions detection by N-CDs in Chinese traditional herbs.

Ultrafine VN nanodots induced generation of abundant cobalt single-atom active sites on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube for efficient hydrogen evolution

Development of highly active and stable non-noble electrocatalysts with well-defined nanostructures is crucial for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). Herein, a novel three-dimensional(3D) selfsupported electrode consists of vanadium nitride(VN) nanodots and Co nanoparticles co-embedded and highly active single Co atoms anchored in N-doped carbon nanotubes supported on carbon cloth(VN-Co@CoSAs-NCNTs/CC) is fabricated via a one-step in situ nanoconfined pyrolysis strategy, which shows remarkable enhanced HER electrocatalytic activity in acidic medium. During pyrolysis, the formed VN nanodots induce the generation of atomic Co Nxsites in NCNTs, contributing to superior electrocatalytic activity. Experimental and density functional theory(DFT) calculation results reveal that the electrode has multiple accessible active sites, fast reaction kinetics, low charge/mass transfer resistances,high conductivity, as well as downshifted d-band center with a thermodynamically favorable hydrogen adsorption free energy(△G_(H·)), all of which greatly boost the HER performance. As a result, the VNCo@CoSAs-NCNTs/CC electrode displays superb catalytic performance toward HER with a low overpotential of 29 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) in acidic medium, which could maintain for at least 60 h of stable performance. This work opens a facile avenue to explore low-cost, high performance, but inexpensive metals/nitrogen-doped carbon composite electrocatalysts for HER.

Electrochemical determination of paraquat using a glassy carbon electrode decorated with pillararene-coated nitrogen-doped carbon dots

An electrochemical sensor(carboxylatopillar[5]arene-coated nitrogen-doped carbon dots,namely CCDs)based on carboxylatopillar[5]arene(CP[5])functionalized nitrogen-doped carbon dots(N-CDs)has been developed in a facile and economic manner.To improve the performance of this electrochemical sensor in pesticide detection,the optimal solution pH(pH 7)and loading amount of CCDs on the electrode(0.50 mg/mL)have been determined.By virtue of the good conductivity of N-CDs and the molecular recognition property of CP[5],CCDs modified glassy carbon electrode,namely CCDs/GCE,shows excellent anti-interference capability,selectivity,stability,and reproducibility in the sensitive detection of paraquat.The peak currents are proportional to the paraquat concentration(from 0.1μmol/L to 10μmol/L)with a detection limit of 6.4 nmol/L(S/N=3),indicating a great potential in pesticide detection.In comparison with the electrochemical sensors that require expensive metal nanoparticles and complex preparation processes,CCDs/GCE exhibits excellent detection capability of paraquat with lower cost and simpler preparation processes.

High-performance Pt catalysts supported on hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages for methanol electrooxidation

Hierarchical nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages （hNCNC） with large specific surface areas were used as a catalyst support to immobilize Pt nanoparticles by a microwave-assisted polyol method. The Pt/hNCNC catalyst with 20 wt% loading has a homogeneous dispersion of Pt nanoparticles with the average size of 3.3 nm, which is smaller than 4.3 and 4.9 nm for the control catalysts with the same loading supported on hierarchical carbon nanocages （hCNC） and commercial Vulcan XC-72, respec- tively. Accordingly, Pt/hNCNC has a larger electrochemical surface area than Pt/hCNC and Pt/XC-72. The Pt/hNCNC catalyst exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation, which was better than the control catalysts. This was attributed to the en- hanced interaction between Pt and hNCNC due to nitrogen participation in the anchoring function. By making use of the unique advantages of the hNCNC support, a heavy Pt loading up to 60 wt% was prepared without serious agglomeration, which gave a high peak-current density per unit mass of catalyst of 95.6 mA/mg for achieving a high power density. These results showed the potential of the Pt/hNCNC catalyst for methanol oxidation and of the new hNCNC support for wide applications.

Preparation of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoblocks with high electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline solution

The oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） is traditionally performed using noble‐metals catalysts, e.g. Pt. However, these metal‐based catalysts have the drawbacks of high costs, low selectivity, poor stabili‐ties, and detrimental environmental effects. Here, we describe metal‐free nitrogen‐doped carbon nanoblocks （NCNBs） with high nitrogen contents （4.11%）, which have good electrocatalytic proper‐ties for ORRs. This material was fabricated using a scalable, one‐step process involving the pyrolysis of tris（hydroxymethyl）aminomethane （Tris） at 800℃. Rotating ring disk electrode measurements show that the NCNBs give a high electrocatalytic performance and have good stability in ORRs. The onset potential of the catalyst for the ORR is-0.05 V （vs Ag/AgCl）, the ORR reduction peak potential is-0.20 V （vs Ag/AgCl）, and the electron transfer number is 3.4. The NCNBs showed pronounced electrocatalytic activity, improved long‐term stability, and better tolerance of the methanol crosso‐ver effect compared with a commercial 20 wt%Pt/C catalyst. The composition and structure of, and nitrogen species in, the NCNBs were investigated using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The pyroly‐sis of Tris at high temperature increases the number of active nitrogen sites, especially pyridinic nitrogen, which creates a net positive charge on adjacent carbon atoms, and the high positive charge promotes oxygen adsorption and reduction. The results show that NCNBs prepared by pyrolysis of Tris as nitrogen and carbon sources are a promising ORR catalyst for fuel cells.

Selenium–nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots increase rice seedling growth and salt resistance

Soil salinity seriously affects the utilization of farmland and threatens the crop production.Here,a selenium-nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots was developed,which increased rice seedling growth and alleviated its inhibition by salt stress by foliar spraying.The treatment activated Ca^(2+)and jasmonic acid signaling pathways and increased iron homeostasis,antioxidant defense,and cell wall development of rice seedlings.It could be used to increase crop resistance to environmental stress.

Coupling of BiOCl Ultrathin Nanosheets with Carbon Quantum Dots for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Over the past few decades,photocatalysis technology has received extensive attention because of its potential to mitigate or solve energy and environmental pollution problems.Designing novel materials with outstanding photocatalytic activities has become a research hotspot in this field.In this study,we prepared a series of photocatalysts in which BiOCl nanosheets were modified with carbon quantum dots(CQDs)to form CQDs/BiOCl composites by using a simple solvothermal method.The photocatalytic performance of the resulting CQDs/BiOCl composite photocatalysts was assessed by rhodamine B and tetracycline degradation under visible-light irradiation.Compared with bare BiOCl,the photocatalytic activity of the CQDs/BiOCl composites was significantly enhanced,and the 5 wt%CQDs/BiOCl composite exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity with a degradation efficiency of 94.5%after 30 min of irradiation.Moreover,photocatalytic N_(2)reduction performance was significantly improved after introducing CQDs.The 5 wt%CQDs/BiOCl composite displayed the highest photocatalytic N_(2)reduction performance to yield NH_3(346.25μmol/(g h)),which is significantly higher than those of 3 wt%CQDs/BiOCl(256.04μmol/(g h)),7 wt%CQDs/BiOCl(254.07μmol/(g h)),and bare BiOCl(240.19μmol/(g h)).Our systematic characterizations revealed that the key role of CQDs in improving photocatalytic performance is due to their increased light harvesting capacity,remarkable electron transfer ability,and higher photocatalytic activity sites.

Achieving high-efficient photocatalytic persulfate-activated degradation of tetracycline via carbon dots modified MIL-101(Fe)octahedrons

The synergistic reaction of photocatalysis and advanced oxidation is a valid strategy for the degradation of harmful antibiotic wastewater.Herein,carbon dots(CDs)modified MIL-101(Fe)octahedrons to form CDs/MIL-101(Fe)composite photocatalyst was synthesized for visible light-driven photocatalytic/persulfate(PS)-activated tetracycline(TC)degradation.The electron spin resonance(ESR)spectra,scavenging experiment and electrochemical analysis were carried out to reveal that the high visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation activity of TC over CDs/MIL-101(Fe)photocatalysts is not only ascribed to the production of free active radicals in the CDs/MIL-101(Fe)/PS system(·OH,·SO_(4-),^(1)O_(2),h^(+)and·O_(2)^(-))but also attributed to the consumption of electrons caused by the PS,which can suppress the recombination of photo-generated carriers as well as strong light scattering and electron trapping effects of CDs.Finally,the possible degradation pathways were proposed by analyzing intermediates via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technique.This research presents a rational design conception to construct a CDs/PS-based photocatalysis/advanced oxidation technology with high-efficient degradation activity for the remediation of organic antibiotic pollutant wastewater and for the improvement of carrier transport kinetics of photocatalysts.

Hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon as cathode for lithium–sulfur batteries

Porous nitrogen-doped carbon is an especially promising material energy storage due to its excellentconductivity, stable physicochemical properties, easy processability, controllable porosity and low price.Herein, we reported a novel well-designed hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon （HPNC） via acombination of salt template （ZnC12） and hard template （SiO2） as sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batter-ies. The low-melting ZnC12 is boiled off and leaves behind micropores and small size mesopores duringpyrolysis process, while the silica spheres are removed by acid leaching to generate interconnected 3Dnetwork of macropores. The HPNC-S electrode exhibits an initial specific capacity of 1355 mAh g^-l at 0.IC （IC= 1675 mAh g^-1 ）, a high-rate capability of 623 mAh g-l at 2 C, and a small decay of 0.13% per cycleover 300 cycles at 0.2 C. This excellent rate capability and remarkable long-term cyclability of the HPNC-Selectrode are attributed to its hierarchical porous structures for confining the soluble lithium polysulfideas well as the nitrogen doping for high absorbability of lithium polysulfide.

Hollow cobalt oxide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets as an efficient bifunctional catalyst for Zn–air battery

Rational design of low-cost, highly electrocatalytic activity, and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER) has been a great significant for metal–air batteries. Herein, an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst based on hollow cobalt oxide nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets(Co/N-Pg) is fabricated for Zn–air batteries. A lowcost biomass peach gum, consisting of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen without other heteroatoms, was used as carbon source to form carbon matrix hosting hollow cobalt oxide nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the melamine was applied as nitrogen source and template precursor, which can convert to carbon-based template graphitic carbon nitride by polycondensation process. Owing to the unique structure and synergistic effect between hollow cobalt oxide nanoparticles and Co-N-C species, the proposal Co/N-Pg catalyst displays not only prominent bifunctional electrocatalytic activities for ORR and OER, but also excellent durability. Remarkably, the assembled Zn–air battery with Co/N-Pg air electrode exhibited a low discharge-charge voltage gap(0.81 V at 50 mA cm^-2) and high peak power density(119 mW cm^-2) with long-term cycling stability. This work presents an effective approach for engineering transition metal oxides and nitrogen modified carbon nanosheets to boost the performance of bifunctional electrocatalysts for Zn–air battery.

Highly Dispersed Cobalt Nanoparticles Embedded in Nitrogen-Doped Graphitized Carbon for Fast and Durable Potassium Storage

Potassium-ion batteries(KIBs)have great potential for applications in large-scale energy storage devices.However,the larger radius of K+leads to sluggish kinetics and inferior cycling performance,severely restricting its practical applicability.Herein,we propose a rational strategy involving a Prussian blue analogue-derived graphitized carbon anode with fast and durable potassium storage capability,which is constructed by encapsulating cobalt nanoparticles in nitrogen-doped graphitized carbon(Co-NC).Both experimental and theoretical results show that N-doping effectively promotes the uniform dispersion of cobalt nanoparticles in the carbon matrix through Co-N bonds.Moreover,the cobalt nanoparticles and strong Co-N bonds synergistically form a threedimensional conductive network,increase the number of adsorption sites,and reduce the diffusion energy barrier,thereby facilitating the adsorption and the diffusion kinetics.These multiple effects lead to enhanced reversible capacities of 305 and 208.6 mAh g^−1 after 100 and 300 cycles at 0.05 and 0.1 A g^−1,respectively,demonstrating the applicability of the Co-NC anode for KIBs.

Controllable synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbon from metal-polluted miscanthus waste boosting for supercapacitors

High-value reclamation of metal-polluted plants involved in phytoremediation is a big challenge.In this study,nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon with large specific area of 2359.1 m^(2)g^(-1) is facilely fabricated from metal-polluted miscanthus waste for efficient energy storage.The synergistic effect of KOH,urea and ammonia solution greatly improve the nitrogen quantity and surface area of the synthesized carbon.Electrodes fabricated with this carbon exhibit the excellent capacitance performance of 340.2 F g^(-1) at 0.5 A g^(-1) and a low combined resistance of 0.116Ω,which are competitive with most of previously reported carbon-based electrodes.In addition,the as-obtained carbon electrode shows a high specific capacitance retention of over 99.6%even after 5000 cycles.Furthermore,the symmetric supercapacitor fabricated using the synthesized carbon achieves a superior energy density of 25.3 Wh kg^(-1)(at 400 W kg^(-1))in 1 mol L^(-1) Na_(2)SO_(4)aqueous solution.This work provides an efficient route to upcycle metal-polluted plant waste for supercapacitor applications.

Novel Ag@Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon Composite with High Electrochemical Performance as Anode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

A novel Ag@nitrogen-doped porous carbon(Ag-NPC) composite was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and applied as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries(LIBs). Using this method, Ag nanoparticles(Ag NPs) were embedded in NPC through thermal decomposition of Ag NO_3 in the pores of NPC. The reversible capacity of Ag-NPC remained at 852 m Ah g^(-1)after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g^(-1), showing its remarkable cycling stability. The enhancement of the electrochemical properties such as cycling performance,reversible capacity and rate performance of Ag-NPC compared to the NPC contributed to the synergistic effects between Ag NPs and NPC.

一种新型Carbon Quantum Dots/CdS/Ta_(3)N_(5)S型异质结纤维光催化材料用于高效降解抗生素

近年来随着工业化的深入发展,全球环境污染日益加重,尤其是水体中的抗生素污染,亟需重点关注并采取科学、有效方法予以解决。光催化技术是一种非常有前景的水体治理技术,为解决水体抗生素污染提供了重要途径。该技术实现大规模应用的关键在于开发出高效且稳定的光催化材料。现有的光催化材料的性能主要受制于其弱的太阳能利用率,快速复合的光生载流子以及氧化还原能力弱等问题。研究发现科学设计和构筑碳量子调控S型异质结材料可以有效克服以上问题。相比于单一的S型异质结,该新型异质结体系整合了两者的优势,具有巨大的应用前景。因此,开发新型碳量子调控S型异质结材料,有望实现对抗生素污染水体的快速治理,进一步促进光催化水体修复技术的发展。在本文研究中,我们成功开发了一种新型的碳量子点调控的S型carbon quantum dots/CdS/Ta_(3)N_(5)异质结纤维用于高效去除左氧氟沙星。其对左氧氟沙星去除速率常数为0.0404 min^(-1),比Ta_(3)N_(5),CdS/Ta_(3)N_(5)和CdS分别提高了39.4、2.1和7.2倍。这主要得益于独特1D/0D/0D核壳结构,该异质结构有效促进了碳量子点和S型异质结的协同增效机制。本研究为开发高效Ta_(3)N_(5)基催化体系用于环境治理开辟了一种新的思路。