Visible-Light Excited Multicolor Room Temperature Phosphorescence of Boron and Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon Dots

Recently, room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have drawn considerable attention owing to their extended emission lifetime, substantial Stokes shift, heightened environmental sensitivity, etc. Carbon dots (CDs) are RTP material candidates that possess outstanding optical stability, good water solubility, nontoxic nature, and facile functionalization. Herein, we developed a simple and rapid method for preparing heteroatom-doped RTP CDs and regulating their luminescent properties via controlling the doping element and structure. The obtained CDs can be excited by both ultraviolet and visible light. An obvious improvement in RTP lifetime and yield as well as modulation of emission wavelength can be achieved. The maximum lifetime of the obtained RTP CDs reaches 754.05 ms, with a phosphorescence quantum yield of 16.78%, and the emission wavelength of RTP can be effectively controlled from cyan to yellow. These outstanding properties ensure their utilization in areas like information encryption and anticounterfeiting.