# Control of Photoluminescence of Carbon Nanodots via Surface Functionalization using Para-substituted Anilines

## TL;DR

Researchers modified carbon nanodots with anilines to control their light emission, achieving long-wavelength and narrow-spectrum photoluminescence for potential use in light-emitting devices.

## Contribution

A novel method to control photoluminescence in carbon nanodots via para-substituted aniline functionalization, enabling tunable long-wavelength emission.

## Key findings

- Surface modification with para-substituted anilines enabled photoluminescence up to 650 nm with narrow spectral widths.
- Transient absorption spectroscopy revealed the role of aniline substituents in forming new energy levels.
- C-dots were used in light-emitting devices with internal quantum yields of approximately 20%.

## Abstract

Carbon nanodots (C-dots) are a kind of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials, composed of polyaromatic carbon domains surrounded by amorphous carbon frames, and have attracted a great deal of attention because of their interesting properties. There are still, however, challenges ahead such as blue-biased photoluminescence, spectral broadness, undefined energy gaps and etc. In this report, we chemically modify the surface of C-dots with a series of para-substituted anilines to control their photoluminescence. Our surface functionalization endows our C-dots with new energy levels, exhibiting long-wavelength (up to 650 nm) photoluminescence of very narrow spectral widths. The roles of para-substituted anilines and their substituents in developing such energy levels are thoroughly studied by using transient absorption spectroscopy. We finally demonstrate light-emitting devices exploiting our C-dots as a phosphor, converting UV light to a variety of colors with internal quantum yields of ca. 20%.