Electrochemical Synthesis of Carbon Dots with Full-Color Emission via Oxidation Modulation for Anti-Counterfeiting

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) have versatile applications in luminescence, whereas identifying the key factors for spectral modulation has been challenging due to numerous synthesis parameters and unmonitorable reaction process. Herein, electrochemical method was employed to obtain CDs with full-color emission (λem=478~625 nm) via modulating volume ratio of ethanol/H₂O in electrolyte, where the real-time monitoring and digital precision control are achieved. All the obtained CDs exhibit excitation independence, acid/alkali resistance and solid-state fluorescence. Structural and optical characterization reveal that oxidation divergence comes from C=O accounts for the adjustable emission. Meanwhile, the potential in anti-counterfeiting been demonstrated by using CDs as fluorescence agents. The proposed simple synthetic strategy is of great significance for finely spectra modulation and efficient synthesis.