Abstract

Significance Compared to traditional semiconductor quantum dots， carbon quantum dots （CQDs） offer advantages such as environmental friendliness， low cost， and ease of preparation， which have attracted widespread interest among researchers. This paper reviews the preparation methods and research progress of CQD-based composite materials.

Progress Researchers have utilized various reactants and precursors， employing multiple synthetic pathways to produce CQDs. The two primary synthesis routes are the top-down and bottom-up approaches. In the top-down synthesis approach， larger carbon materials， such as carbon nanotubes， are broken down under specific conditions to form small-sized CQDs. This approach includes methods such as chemical ablation， electrochemical carbonization， and laser ablation， which significantly simplify the preparation process. Since carbon is used as the raw material， these methods are cost-effective and suitable for large-scale production. However， it is challenging to precisely control the size of the CQDs， and the decomposition process may generate defects， impacting their performance. In contrast， the bottom-up synthesis method uses small molecules and compounds （e.g.， carbohydrates） as precursors to build more complex structures， primarily through microwave radiation or hydrothermal synthesis. The bottom-up approach allows precise control over the size， shape， and surface functionalization of CQDs， resulting in fewer defects and improved optical properties. However， this approach is more complex and requires special precursors， increasing synthesis difficulty and cost. CQDs are widely applied in areas such as photocatalysis， pollutant degradation， biomedicine， photoelectrocatalysis， and sensors. By effectively controlling the size， surface defects， and optical properties of CQDs， it is possible to fine-tune their band structure， thereby enhancing their performance and expanding their range of applications.

Conclusions and Prospects The synthesis methods of CQDs should be more refined， environmentally friendly， efficient， and multifunctional to meet practical application needs. Future research on the fluorescence properties of CQDs should focus more on their underlying mechanisms， optimizing performance， and expanding applications in multiple fields. Future investigations should emphasize the effects of surface functional group incorporation， surface modifications， and doping on the electronic structure and optical properties of CQDs. These in-depth studies will facilitate the design of CQDs with specific functionalities， such as improved biocompatibility or enhanced selective recognition capabilities.

Keywords： carbon quantum dots； composites； preparation； photoelectrocatalysis； biomedicine

Get Citation: YANG Lei， HUANG Xiaodong， SHAN Hai， et al. Research progress of preparation and applications of carbon quantum dot composites［J］. China Powder Science and Technology， 2025， 31（3）： 1-9.

Received: 2024-07-16.Revised:2024-08-13,Online:2025-03-06.

Funding Project: 国家自然科学基金项目，编号：61804039，52075144；合肥大学人才科研基金项目，编号：20RC35。

First Author: 杨蕾（1983—），男，副教授，博士，硕士生导师，研究方向为光电半导体材料。E-mail： ylei531@163.com。

Corresponding Author: 胡坤宏（1975—），男，教授，博士，硕士生导师，安徽省创新人才、学术和技术带头人后备人选，研究方向为能源化工、机械摩擦学。E-mail： chemhu@hfuu.edu.cn。

DOI：10.13732/j.issn.1008-5548.2025.03.010

CLC No: TB44           Type Code: A

Serial No: 1008-5548（2025）03-0001-09