Carbon Dot Sensors, Volume II

Dear Colleagues,

In 2004, a new family of carbon nanomaterials, named carbon dots or carbon quantum dots, was identified in the purification of carbon nanotubes. Meanwhile, these nanomaterials have been shown to have excellent photophysical and photochemical properties, and low toxicity, and can be produced from renewable materials under sustainable conditions. Currently, ongoing research is improving these features far beyond standard values, for example, in terms of their quantum yields, photo and thermal stability, reactivity, and selectivity. Carbon dots are becoming real alternatives to other luminescent nanomaterials in applications involving toxicity and natural resources sustainability issues, such as semiconductors quantum dots. Fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and upconversion fluorescent carbon nanomaterials have been reported. These properties confer an important role in analytical/bioanalytical sensing chemistry and imaging/bioimaging because extended linear concentration ranges, very low detection limits, and high selectivity are foreseen and have already been demonstrated. The present Special Issue is focused on the sensor design, preparation, and analytical applications of carbon dots in currently analytical challenges in environmental and biological sciences. Some examples of these current challenges are the on-site detection of nano- and microplastics and other emerging pollutants in environmental compartments and specific diseases biomarkers quantification. Moreover, in the context of the circular economy and carbon neutrality principles, sustainable sensor development based on renewable biomass residuals is mandatory. Nevertheless, useful nanosensors can only be obtained when carbon dots have quite high quantum yields, which may not be straightforwardly achieved using raw biomass residuals. Synthesis strategies must be developed for the production of very high fluorescent sensors from residual biomass that are carbon neutral and environmentally sustainable.

Prof. Dr. Joaquim Esteves da Silva
Guest Editor

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• carbon dots
• carbon quantum dots
• chemical sensors
• biochemical sensors
• environmental sensors
• biological sensors
• clinical sensors
• bioimaging sensors
• chemiluminescent sensors
• upconversion carbon nanomaterial sensors