Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Recent developments, applications and challenges for carbon quantum dots as a photosynthesis enhancer in agriculture

This review examined recent developments in carbon quantum dots as photosynthesis enhancers in agriculture, covering their synthesis methods, mechanisms of action in boosting plant growth, and current challenges for practical application.

2023 RSC Advances 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances and prospects of carbon dots for microplastic analysis

This review assessed the potential of carbon dots, luminescent nanomaterials derived from carbon sources, as tools for microplastic detection and analysis in food and environmental samples, offering advantages in sensitivity and selectivity over conventional methods. The authors identify carbon dot-based sensing as a promising direction for filling the gap in standardized microplastic analytical methods.

2022 Chemosphere 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental applications of carbon dots: Addressing microplastics, air and water pollution

This review examined how carbon dots, a class of nanomaterials, can be applied to environmental challenges including microplastic detection, air quality monitoring, and water purification. Researchers found that the unique optical and chemical properties of carbon dots make them particularly promising for sensing and removing pollutants. The study highlights the versatility of these materials as tools for addressing multiple forms of environmental contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic-derived carbon dots for sustainable environmental applications

Researchers developed a method to convert waste plastic into carbon dots — ultrasmall carbon nanomaterials with tunable photoluminescence and low toxicity — offering a sustainable approach to upcycling non-biodegradable plastic waste for environmental sensing and remediation applications.

2023
Article Tier 2

Revolutionizing microplastic detection in water through quantum dot fluorescence

Researchers developed a novel approach using carbon quantum dots to stain microplastics, enabling fluorescence-based detection in water at low cost and with simple synthesis, demonstrating high sensitivity and selectivity without the toxicity concerns of conventional fluorescent dyes.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

The Future of Water Purification with Carbon and Graphene Quantum dots: a Comprehensive Review

This review examined traditional and advanced water purification technologies, with a focus on quantum dot-based systems incorporating carbon and graphene quantum dots for removing emerging contaminants including microplastics. The authors assessed the photocatalytic and adsorptive mechanisms that make quantum dots promising for next-generation water treatment.

2025 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología
Article Tier 2

Preparation of N, Cl Co-Doped Lignin Carbon Quantum Dots and Detection of Microplastics in Water

Researchers synthesized nitrogen and chlorine co-doped lignin carbon quantum dots and demonstrated their use as a fluorescence-based sensor for detecting microplastics in water, offering a promising rapid and cost-effective monitoring approach.

2023 Crystals 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in the Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Carbon Dots in the Field of Wastewater Treatment: A Comprehensive Review

This review covers carbon dots, a type of nanomaterial that can be used to detect and remove pollutants from wastewater, including heavy metals, dyes, and organic chemicals. Carbon dots can improve water filtration membranes and boost the effectiveness of biological treatment systems. While not directly about microplastics, these technologies could be adapted to help detect and filter microplastics from drinking water and wastewater.

2025 Water 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with carbon-based quantum dots (CQDs) for microplastic elimination

Researchers developed magnetic nanoparticles decorated with carbon quantum dots capable of removing microplastics from water using a magnet. This Spanish-language study demonstrates a promising approach to extracting small plastic particles from contaminated water that standard filtration systems miss.

2023 UCrea (University of Cantabria)
Article Tier 2

PARAFAC- and PCA-Resolved Excitation–Emission Matrix Fluorescence of Ultra-Fine Polyamide-Derived Carbon Quantum Dots for Mechanistic Microplastic Discrimination

This study developed a fluorescence sensing platform using ultra-fine polyamide-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with PARAFAC and PCA chemometric analysis to rapidly and selectively discriminate microplastic polymer types. The mechanism-driven approach achieved polymer-specific resolution that single-wavelength CQD sensors cannot provide.

2026 Micro 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Revolutionizing microplastic detection in water through quantum dot fluorescence

This study introduced carbon quantum dot-based fluorescence staining for microplastic detection in water, achieving sensitive and selective identification through microwave-assisted synthesis without complex pretreatment, offering a practical low-cost alternative to conventional detection methods.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Production of Carbon Quantum Dots Based on Oil Palm Fronds for Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics Detection

Researchers synthesized carbon quantum dots from oil palm frond waste and tested their fluorescence properties for detecting polyethylene and PET microplastics. The bio-based quantum dots provided a cost-effective and environmentally friendly sensing approach for identifying common plastic polymers in environmental samples.

2025 International Journal of Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Functionalized Carbon Quantum Dots Integrated with Metal–Organic Frameworks: Emerging Platforms for Sensing and Food Safety Applications

This review covers advances in combining carbon quantum dots with metal-organic frameworks to create highly sensitive sensors for detecting food contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics, and pathogens. While not directly about microplastics, these sensing technologies could be adapted to help detect plastic contamination in food and environmental samples.

2025 Foods 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing Hydrogels with Quantum Dots

This review explores the integration of quantum dots with hydrogel materials for applications in biomedical engineering, environmental sensing, and energy harvesting. The authors highlight innovations including fluorescent nanocomposites for environmental monitoring and smart sensors capable of detecting biological and environmental changes, while noting challenges in scaling these technologies for commercial use.

2024 Journal of Composites Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose Matrix Biocomposite and Carbon Quantum Dots for the Detection of Mercury in Aqueous Effluents

Researchers compared two purification methods -- dialysis and column chromatography -- for carbon quantum dots derived from cellulose, finding that dialysis-purified CQDs had more NH2, NH3, and imine surface groups, leading to greater fluorescence quenching in the presence of mercury and better performance as a mercury detection sensor in aqueous effluents.

2025 Universidad Industrial de Santander
Article Tier 2

Copper(II)-Doped Carbon Dots as Catalyst for Ozone Degradation of Textile Dyes

Researchers developed copper-doped carbon dots as a catalyst for ozone-based degradation of textile dyes, achieving effective breakdown of multiple dye compounds including reactive and azo dyes in wastewater at near-neutral pH and room temperature.

2022 Nanomaterials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Waste-Derived Carbon Dots: Insights of Recycling Valuable Materials Towards Environmental Sustainability

Researchers review how waste plastics, including single-use items that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be converted into carbon dots — tiny light-emitting nanoparticles under 10 nanometers — with useful applications in sensing, imaging, and catalysis. This recycling approach offers an environmentally sustainable way to transform a persistent pollution problem into valuable high-tech materials.

2023 Current Pollution Reports 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-carbon quantum dot modified TiO 2 nanocrystals for photocatalytic degradation of PLA and PET microplastics

Researchers developed a photocatalyst by modifying titanium dioxide nanocrystals with bio-based carbon quantum dots to degrade PET and PLA microplastics under visible light. The composite achieved degradation rates of 28.9% for PET and 59.8% for PLA microplastics within 48 hours in alkaline conditions. The study demonstrates a promising approach for breaking down common microplastic pollutants using sunlight-driven catalysis.

2026 RSC Advances
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Water Treatment Using Carbon Dots: A Comprehensive Review

This review paper summarizes recent research on carbon dots - tiny particles made from carbon that can help clean dirty water by removing harmful substances like heavy metals and germs. These particles show promise for making water safer to drink because they can grab onto pollutants and even glow to help scientists monitor water quality in real-time. However, scientists are still working to make this technology practical for large-scale water treatment plants that serve entire communities.

2026 Scientiae Radices
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Synthesis and Applications of Carbon-Doped TiO2 Nanomaterials

This review described recent advances in the synthesis and applications of carbon-doped TiO2 nanomaterials, finding that carbon incorporation broadens light absorption into the visible range, reduces electron-hole recombination, and enhances photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants beyond what undoped TiO2 achieves.

2020 Catalysts 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Intersection of nanomaterials and organoids technology in biomedicine

This review examines how nanomaterials including quantum dots, nanoparticles, and carbon-based materials are being applied to improve organoid construction and function in biomedical research, covering applications across multiple organ systems.

2023 Frontiers in Immunology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Unlocking the Potential of Carbon Quantum Dots for Cell Imaging, Intracellular Localization, and Gene Expression Control in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it investigates how carbon quantum dots are transported and affect gene expression in Arabidopsis plants, with no connection to microplastic contamination.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

PhosphorescentNaphthalene-Doped Carbon Nitride QuantumDots for Selective Detection of Polyamide Microplastics

Researchers synthesized phosphorescent naphthalene-doped carbon nitride quantum dots that selectively bind to polyamide microplastics via hydrogen bonding, enabling background-free phosphorescence imaging for specific detection of PA particles in complex environmental samples. The approach overcomes the overestimation problem caused by nonspecific fluorescent dyes by exploiting time-gated phosphorescence to eliminate background autofluorescence.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

The Puzzling Potential of Carbon Nanomaterials: General Properties, Application, and Toxicity

This review examines the unique properties of carbon nanomaterials (including carbon nanotubes and fullerenes) and their promising applications in technology and medicine, while also addressing the growing concern about their toxicity and environmental fate.

2020 Nanomaterials 70 citations