Carbon dots-based luminescent materials with aggregation-induced emission and solvent crystallization-induced emission behaviors

As a novel carbon-based fluorescent nanomaterial, the optical properties of carbon dots (CDs) in dispersed state have been extensively studied. Nevertheless, carbon dots-based fluorescent materials with high luminescence efficiency in both aggregated and dispersed states are rarely reported. Herein, hydrothermal treatment of p-phenylenediamine (PPD), followed by column chromatography, the obtained R-CDs showing excitation-independent red fluorescence (FL) emission. Significantly, yellow fluorescent powder (Y-CDs) with strong solid-state emission has been prepared by the reaction of R-CDs and salicylaldehyde (SA). More interestingly, the synthesized Y-CDs showed obvious aggregation-induced and solvent crystallization-induced FL enhancement behaviors. These findings have a certain reference significance for the development of CDs-based materials with high luminescence efficiency in both aggregated and dispersed states.