A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater
Abstract We present an investigation on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized from wastewater induced during the production of tofu. We find that tofu wastewater is a good source of raw material in making fluorescent CQDs. The corresponding CQDs can be fabricated simply via hydrothermal reaction to...
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SpringerOpen
2017-11-01
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Series: | Nanoscale Research Letters |
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Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-017-2369-1 |
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author | Jin Zhang Hong Wang Yiming Xiao Ju Tang Changneng Liang Fengyan Li Haiming Dong Wen Xu |
author_facet | Jin Zhang Hong Wang Yiming Xiao Ju Tang Changneng Liang Fengyan Li Haiming Dong Wen Xu |
author_sort | Jin Zhang |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract We present an investigation on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized from wastewater induced during the production of tofu. We find that tofu wastewater is a good source of raw material in making fluorescent CQDs. The corresponding CQDs can be fabricated simply via hydrothermal reaction to carbonize the organic matter in the yellow serofluid of tofu wastewater. Two sorts of CQDs can be obtained within the deionized water and NaOH solution, respectively, where the CQDs in water (NaOH solution) can emit blue (green) light under the UV irradiation. It is found from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the basic difference between these two sorts of CQDs is the contents of C–O and C=O bonds on the surface of the CQDs. This difference can cause different features of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the CQDs. On the basis of the obtained results from the XPS and PL measurements, we propose a mechanism in understanding and explaining the photon-induced light emission from CQDs. This study is relevant to the fabrication and application of fluorescent CQDs as, e.g., light display materials. |
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language | English |
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spelling | doaj.art-8a4aad747da3433aba577e331eb5a7df2023-09-02T18:57:58ZengSpringerOpenNanoscale Research Letters1931-75731556-276X2017-11-011211710.1186/s11671-017-2369-1A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu WastewaterJin Zhang0Hong Wang1Yiming Xiao2Ju Tang3Changneng Liang4Fengyan Li5Haiming Dong6Wen Xu7School of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversitySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversityDepartment of Physics, China University of Mining and TechnologySchool of Physics and Astronomy and International Joint Research Center for Optoelectronic and Energy Materials, Yunnan UniversityAbstract We present an investigation on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized from wastewater induced during the production of tofu. We find that tofu wastewater is a good source of raw material in making fluorescent CQDs. The corresponding CQDs can be fabricated simply via hydrothermal reaction to carbonize the organic matter in the yellow serofluid of tofu wastewater. Two sorts of CQDs can be obtained within the deionized water and NaOH solution, respectively, where the CQDs in water (NaOH solution) can emit blue (green) light under the UV irradiation. It is found from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the basic difference between these two sorts of CQDs is the contents of C–O and C=O bonds on the surface of the CQDs. This difference can cause different features of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the CQDs. On the basis of the obtained results from the XPS and PL measurements, we propose a mechanism in understanding and explaining the photon-induced light emission from CQDs. This study is relevant to the fabrication and application of fluorescent CQDs as, e.g., light display materials.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-017-2369-1FluorescenceCarbon quantum dotsTofu wastewaterHydrothermal reaction |
spellingShingle | Jin Zhang Hong Wang Yiming Xiao Ju Tang Changneng Liang Fengyan Li Haiming Dong Wen Xu A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater Nanoscale Research Letters Fluorescence Carbon quantum dots Tofu wastewater Hydrothermal reaction |
title | A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater |
title_full | A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater |
title_fullStr | A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater |
title_full_unstemmed | A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater |
title_short | A Simple Approach for Synthesizing of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Tofu Wastewater |
title_sort | simple approach for synthesizing of fluorescent carbon quantum dots from tofu wastewater |
topic | Fluorescence Carbon quantum dots Tofu wastewater Hydrothermal reaction |
url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-017-2369-1 |
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