High luminescent fluorophore synthesized at atmospheric pressure from citric acid and ethylenediamine

In this paper, we show a low temperature normal pressure synthesis of a blue emissive organic fluorophore. The organic fluorophore molecule - 1, 2, 3, 5-tetrahydro-5-oxo-imidazo [1, 2-a] pyridine-7-carboxylic acid (IPCA) - consists of derivatives of imidazole and benzoic rings with a carboxylic group. The molecule has a strong emission maximum at around 450 nm when excitation of 350 nm us used and is correlated with PL spectra of carbon nanoparticles. The quantum yield was found to be relatively high: around 55%. IPCA luminescent properties are similar to the reported for some carbon nanostructures, obtained via hydrothermal synthesis from citric acid and ethylenediamine.