Carbon Dots: Small Materials With Big Impacts on Optoelectronic Devices

Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs), as an emerging class of zero-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials, have attracted widespread attention owing to their remarkable optical properties, solution processability, and environmental friendliness, showing broad application prospects in optoelectronic devices. Nevertheless, although significant research progress has been achieved in recent years, a comprehensive theoretical framework is still absent for clarifying the correlations among the structure, optical properties, and performance of CDs in practical device applications. In this regard, the present review highlights recent developments in utilizing the distinctive optical features of CDs for various optoelectronic systems, including key examples such as photodetectors, optical memristors, lasers, electroluminescent diodes, and photovoltaic cells. Moreover, the current limitations and future research directions for CDs-based optoelectronic technologies are analyzed. The insights provided herein are expected to stimulate further research on enhancing the optical properties of CDs and promoting the rational design of high-performance devices from a new perspective.