Role of Noncovalent Interactions in N,P-Functionalized Luminescent Carbon Dots for Ultrasensitive Detection of Moisture in D2O: Boosting Visible-NIR Light Sensitivity.

It is highly desirable to design cost-efficient and eco-friendly fluorometric sensors that can efficiently detect water contamination in D2O and other expensive organic solvents. Herein, we have synthesized N,P-codoped carbon dots (N,P-CDs) from o-phenylene diamine (o-PDA) and H3PO4 through the bottom-up carbonization method. Heteroatom co-doping increases the absorption cross section in the visible-NIR range, followed by the formation of stable emissive states in longer-wavelength regions. We have critically investigated the noncovalent interactions (especially H-bonding interactions) of various surface functional groups with surrounding solvent media through a detailed structure-property correlation. Based on the sensitivity of noncovalent H-bonding interactions to the stability of longer-wavelength emissive domains, we have utilized these N,P-CDs as cost-effective fluorometric sensors of water/moisture contamination in D2O especially under visible-NIR light; the optical sensitivity reaches up to 0.1 volume (%) level. The detailed sensing mechanism has been further supported by a computational study through a simple visualization approach by mapping and analyzing all possible noncovalent interactions between the CDs and the solvent medium.

• Publication year

  2023

• Venue

  ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

• Publication date

  2023-03-15

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Materials Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1021/acsami.3c01620PMID 36919901
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Detection and Discrimination of Water (H2O) and Heavy Water (D2O) by an Off-the-Shelf Fluorescent Probe

  2022cited by this paper
• A computational study of the inclusion of β-cyclodextrin and nicotinic acid: DFT, DFT-D, NPA, NBO, QTAIM, and NCI-RDG studies

  2022cited by this paper
• From Small Molecules to Zero-Dimensional Carbon Nanodots: Chasing the Stepwise Transformations During Carbonization

  2022cited by this paper
• Highly Facile Strategy for Detecting D2O in H2O by Porphyrin-Based Luminescent Probes.

  2022cited by this paper
• Electron–Hole Separation in Perylene Diimide Based Self-Assembled Nanostructures: Microelectrostatics Analysis and Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulations

  2022cited by this paper
• Critical Optimization of Phosphorus Functionalized Carbon Nanomaterials for Metal‐Free Solar Hydrogen Production and Simultaneous Organic Transformation

  2022cited by this paper
• Investigation of hydrogen bonded structure of urea-water mixtures through Infra-red spectroscopy and non-covalent interaction (NCI) theoretical approach

  2021cited by this paper
• Synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped graphene as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction under strong alkaline media in advanced chlor-alkali cell

  2021cited by this paper
• Insight into the Multistate Emissive N, P-doped Carbon Nano-Onions: Emerging Visible Light Absorption for Photocatalysis.

  2021cited by this paper
• Carbon Dots: Classification, Properties, Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in Health Care—An Updated Review (2018–2021)

  2021cited by this paper
• A Mini Review on pH-Sensitive Photoluminescence in Carbon Nanodots

  2021cited by this paper
• Solvatochromic Surface-Passivated Carbon Dots for Fluorometric Moisture Sensing in Organic Solvents

  2021cited by this paper
• Red, green, and blue light-emitting carbon dots prepared from o-phenylenediamine

  2021cited by this paper
• Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dots for developing highly flame retardant poly (vinyl alcohol) composite films

  2021cited by this paper
• Dual-Emission Carbon Dots for Ratiometric Fluorescent Water Sensing, Relative Humidity Sensing, and Anticounterfeiting Applications

  2021cited by this paper
• In acid-aminopyrimidine continuum: experimental and computational studies of furan tetracarboxylate-2-aminopyrimidinium salt

  2021cited by this paper
• A Water-Stable Tb-MOF As a Rapid, Accurate, and Highly Sensitive Ratiometric Luminescent Sensor for the Discriminative Sensing of Antibiotics and D2O in H2O.

  2021cited by this paper
• Nitrogen–phosphorus doped graphitic nano onion-like structures: experimental and theoretical studies

  2021cited by this paper
• Molecular, Aromatic, and Amorphous Domains of N-Carbon Dots: Leading toward the Competitive Photoluminescence and Photocatalytic Properties

  2021cited by this paper
• Progress and challenges in understanding of photoluminescence properties of carbon dots based on theoretical computations

  2021cited by this paper
• Carbon dots with pH-responsive fluorescence: a review on synthesis and cell biological applications

  2020cited by this paper
• Red-Emitting Carbon Dots as a Dual Sensor for In3+ and Pd2+ in Water

  2020cited by this paper
• Carbon-based nanomaterials: in the quest of alternative metal-free photocatalysts for solar water splitting

  2020cited by this paper
• Facile synthesis of N, P-doped carbon dots from maize starch via a solvothermal approach for the highly sensitive detection of Fe3+

  2020cited by this paper
• Multiscale modelling investigation of wood modification with acetic anhydride.

  2020cited by this paper
• Carbon Dots: A New Type of Carbon-Based Nanomaterial with Wide Applications

  2020cited by this paper
• Multicolor emissive carbon dot with solvatochromic behavior across the entire visible spectrum

  2020cited by this paper
• Role of Intrinsic Atomic Features and Bonding Motifs from the Surface to the Deep Core on Multistate Emissive Properties of N,B-Codoped Carbon Dots

  2020cited by this paper
• The fluorescence mechanism of carbon dots, and methods for tuning their emission color: a review

  2019cited by this paper
• Nanomaterials for luminescent detection of water and humidity.

  2019cited by this paper
• Recent development of carbon quantum dots regarding their optical properties, photoluminescence mechanism, and core structure.

  2019cited by this paper
• A Facile Strategy for the Construction of Purely Organic Optical Sensors Capable of Distinguishing D2 O from H2 O.

  2019cited by this paper
• Spectroscopic Fingerprints of Graphitic, Pyrrolic, Pyridinic, and Chemisorbed Nitrogen in N-Doped Graphene

  2019cited by this paper
• Solvatochromic Near-Infrared Probe for Polarity Mapping of Biomembranes and Lipid Droplets in Cells under Stress.

  2019cited by this paper
• Electrochemical synthesis of multicolor fluorescent N-doped graphene quantum dots as a ferric ion sensor and their application in bioimaging.

  2019cited by this paper
• Sunlight-induced photoreduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in wastewater by nitrogen-phosphorus-doped carbon dots

  2019cited by this paper
• A Review of Carbon and Graphene Quantum Dots for Sensing.

  2019cited by this paper
• Functionalized Chitosan–Carbon Dots: A Fluorescent Probe for Detecting Trace Amount of Water in Organic Solvents

  2019cited by this paper
• Fe3+-Catalyzed low-temperature preparation of multicolor carbon polymer dots with the capability of distinguishing D2O from H2O.

  2019cited by this paper
• High performance of N, P co-doped metal-free carbon catalyst derived from ionic liquid for oxygen reduction reaction

  2018cited by this paper
• P═O Moiety as an Ambidextrous Hydrogen Bond Acceptor

  2018cited by this paper
• Tracking the Source of Carbon Dot Photoluminescence: Aromatic Domains versus Molecular Fluorophores.

  2017cited by this paper
• H-Bonding controls the emission properties of functionalized carbon nano-dots.

  2017cited by this paper
• A Sensor for Trace H2O Detection in D2O

  2017cited by this paper
• Highly N,P-doped carbon dots: Rational design, photoluminescence and cellular imaging

  2017cited by this paper
• In vivo characterization of hair and skin derived carbon quantum dots with high quantum yield as long-term bioprobes in zebrafish

  2016cited by this paper
• Graphitic Nitrogen Doping in Carbon Dots Causes Red-Shifted Absorption

  2016cited by this paper
• CuInGaSe nanocrystals for detection of trace amount of water in D2O (at ppm level)

  2016cited by this paper
• Principles Of Fluorescence Spectroscopy

  2016cited by this paper
• Role of C–N Configurations in the Photoluminescence of Graphene Quantum Dots Synthesized by a Hydrothermal Route

  2016cited by this paper
• Noncovalent Functionalization of Graphene and Graphene Oxide for Energy Materials, Biosensing, Catalytic, and Biomedical Applications.

  2016cited by this paper
• Tunable photoluminescence across the entire visible spectrum from carbon dots excited by white light.

  2015cited by this paper
• Carbon Dots: A Unique Fluorescent Cocktail of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

  2015cited by this paper
• Facile synthesis of P-doped carbon quantum dots with highly efficient photoluminescence

  2014cited by this paper
• Simple one-step synthesis of highly luminescent carbon dots from orange juice: application as excellent bio-imaging agents.

  2012cited by this paper
• Revealing noncovalent interactions.

  2010cited by this paper
• Quantum Differences between Heavy and Light Water.

  2008cited by this paper
• Electrophoretic analysis and purification of fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube fragments.

  2004cited by this paper
• Dipole moment of water from Stark measurements of H2O, HDO, and D2O

  1973cited by this paper
• The Atom and the Molecule

  1916cited by this paper

• Recent Progress on Carbon-Dots-Based Probes for Microbial Labeling and Versatile Analysis Applications

  2026cites this paper
• Highly Facile Strategy for the Ultrasensitive Differentiation of D2O and H2O by Red-Emitting Carbon Dots.

  2025cites this paper
• Water-Responsive Fluorescence and Room-Temperature Phosphorescence Carbon Dots for Trace Water Detection in Ethylene Glycol and Multimodal Anticounterfeiting.

  2025cites this paper
• Enhanced multi-enzyme activity and bone-targeted phosphorus-doped carbon dots for precise antioxidant therapy of rheumatoid arthritis

  2025cites this paper
• The fabrication of N, S co-doped carbon dots and cascade sensing Hg2+ and bovine serum albumin in food with reversible strategy.

  2025cites this paper
• Review on Phenylenediamine derived carbon dots and their applications

  2025cites this paper
• Recent advances in optical heavy water sensors.

  2025cites this paper
• N-Doped Carbon Layer Encapsulated NiPx for Photocatalytic Alcohol Oxidation Coupled Hydrogen Evolution on Ag-In-Zn-S Quantum Dots.

  2025cites this paper
• Aggregation-induced-emission red carbon dots for ratiometric sensing of norfloxacin and anti-counterfeiting.

  2024cites this paper
• Carbon dots-doped melamine–formaldehyde microsphere as a dual functional material for sensing and adsorption of oxytetracycline

  2024cites this paper
• Identification of Chinese baijiu from the same brand based on a graphene quantum dots fluorescence sensing array.

  2023cites this paper
• Self-referenced dual-near-infrared emission-based sensor platform for the ultrasensitive discrimination of D2O and H2O

  2023cites this paper