title: Cu-N dopants boost electron transfer and photooxidation reactions of carbon dots.
abstract: The broadband light-absorption ability of carbon dots (CDs) has inspired their application in photocatalysis, however this has been impeded by poor electron transfer inside the CDs. Herein, we report the preparation of Cu-N-doped CDs (Cu-CDs) and investigate both the doping-promoted electron transfer and the performance of the CDs in photooxidation reactions. The Cu-N doping was achieved through a one-step pyrolytic synthesis of CDs with Na2 [Cu(EDTA)] as precursor. As confirmed by ESR, FTIR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, the Cu species chelates with the carbon matrix through Cu-N complexes. As a result of the Cu-N doping, the electron-accepting and -donating abilities were enhanced 2.5 and 1.5 times, and the electric conductivity was also increased to 171.8 μs cm(-1) . As a result of these enhanced properties, the photocatalytic efficiency of CDs in the photooxidation reaction of 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate is improved 3.5-fold after CD doping.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).|Institute of Optoelectronics and Nanomaterials, Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094 (P.R. China).
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Weiyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Optoelectronics and Nanomaterials, Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094 (P.R. China).
authors.forename: Jizhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Institute of Optoelectronics and Nanomaterials, Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094 (P.R. China).
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Zhongtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Ruiqin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Jinqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China).
authors.forename: Jingtang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China). wumb@upc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Mingbo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Optoelectronics and Nanomaterials, Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094 (P.R. China). zeng.haibo@njust.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D004579:Electron Transport; D008027:Light; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D056831:Coordination Complexes; D003300:Copper; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: carbon dots; doping; electron transfer; luminescence; photooxidation