Innovations in the Solid‐State Fluorescence of Carbon Dots: Strategies, Optical Manipulations, and Applications

Abstract Carbon dots (CDs)—carbon nanoparticles smaller than 10 nm—have attracted widespread attention owing to their excellent optical properties. However, high‐performing CDs often suffer from severe aggregation‐induced quenching in the solid state, which limits their commercial applicability. Therefore, CD materials with efficient solid‐state luminescence are sought. As research on the structure and photoluminescence mechanisms of CDs has intensified in recent years, strategies to construct fluorescent solid‐state CD materials and tune their emissions have broadened. This article reviews recent advances in the strategies and mechanisms for attaining solid‐state fluorescence in CDs, describes specific ways to tune the optical properties of this fluorescence, introduces the latest applications of the resulting CDs to optoelectronics, biology, and sensing, and finally considers the prospects for future application and current challenges facing the development of solid‐state fluorescence in CDs.