Resculpting carbon dots via electrochemical etching.

ABSTRACT

Substantial efforts are directed into exploring the structure-properties relationships of photoluminescent Carbon dots (C-dots). This study unravels a resculpting mechanism in C-dots that is triggered by electrochemical etching and proceeds via extensive surface oxidation and carbon-carbon breakage. The process results in the gradual shrinkage of the nanoparticles and can enhance the quantum yield by more than half order of magnitude compared to the untreated analogues.