Synthesis of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles by dispersion polymerization of acetylene

Abstract

Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) are of interest due to their distinct optoelectronic properties for a diverse range of applications and their functions and properties can be changed by varying their shape, size and dimensionality. The current synthetic methods reported often result in uncontrolled shape, size and polydispersity. In this work, we focus on developing a low-temperature synthetic method for preparing fluorescent carbon nanoparticles and modulation of properties. Our method, based on the dispersion Glaser–Hay polymerization of acetylene followed by decomposition into a carbonaceous material, yields CNPs with sizes varying from 30 nm to 60 nm. The change in reaction parameters influences the shape and size of CNPs, yielding spherical CNPs. The residual alkynes were exploited further for post-functionalization/graphitization by UV irradiation to yield multifunctional CNPs, which were fluorescent in the blue region. The CNPs were characterized with microscopy and spectroscopy techniques after synthesis and after UV-irradiation to study the morphological, chemical, physical and optical properties. This allowed us to understand the influence of parameter variation on the properties and to attempt to establish the structure–property relationship.