Bioinspired synthesis of fluorescent calcium carbonate/carbon dot hybrid composites

Abstract

Herein, we report a novel method to synthesise fluorescent calcium carbonate/carbon dots (CaCO₃/CDs) by simply mixing CaCl₂ and Na₂CO₃ solutions in the presence of CDs. There are two roles of CDs in this easy and cost-effective biomimetic strategy, that is as the template to direct the formation and assembly of calcite nanocrystals into hierarchical spheres with diameters in the range of 200–300 nm and simultaneously as the phosphor to enable the CaCO₃ to emit blue fluorescence under UV (365 nm) irradiation with a quantum yield of 56.2%. The CaCO₃/CD hybrid composites possessing unique fluorescence properties are potentially useful in various applications.