title: Single-particle fluorescence intensity fluctuations of carbon nanodots.
abstract: Fluorescent carbon nanodots (CNDs) were synthesized in oxidized and reduced forms and were analyzed at the single-particle level. Images of single CNDs at different excitation energies revealed significant heterogeneity in the lower energy trap sites between particles. We observed that a high percentage of reduced CND particles transitioned between multiple fluorescence intensity levels indicative of multichromophoric systems. Despite this behavior, individual CNDs exhibit single-step photobleaching and transient blinking to the background level suggesting single-molecule behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky , 505 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky, United States.
authors.forename: Somes K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Yiyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sinhea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.forename: Doo Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Christopher I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Richards