POS4-1285
Precursor Aromaticity-Dependent Nitrogen Speciation and Photoluminescence in N-Doped Carbon Dots
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Hajin Song (Gachon University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) have attracted attention as functional soft nanomaterials due to their tunable photoluminescence (PL) properties and low toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effect of the aromatic-ring count of nitro precursors on the formation and photoluminescence properties of N-CDs. Six nitro compounds (1-nitrohexane, nitrocyclohexane, nitrobenzene, nitronaphthalene, 9-nitroanthracene, 1-nitropyrene) were treated under identical microwave-assisted conditions, and the resulting products were systematically compared. Aromatic nitro precursors produced discrete N-CDs, whereas aliphatic precursors did not undergo measurable carbonization. The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) increased with the number of aromatic rings, reaching approximately 61% for 1-nitropyrene-derived N-CDs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further revealed that N-CDs derived from precursors with two to four aromatic rings exhibited higher pyridinic nitrogen fractions (33.09-36.50%) than nitrobenzene-derived N-CDs (23.71%), along with reduced pyrrolic nitrogen fractions. These findings demonstrate that precursor aromaticity is a key parameter for controlling the interfacial chemistry and optical performance of N-CDs, providing a useful strategy for the development of functional soft nanomaterials for photonics and sensing applications.
Keywords: Nitrogen-doped carbon dots, precursor aromaticity, photoluminescence, microwave assisted synthesis
Keywords: Nitrogen-doped carbon dots, precursor aromaticity, photoluminescence, microwave assisted synthesis
