Shining Light on Carbon Dots: New Opportunities in Photocatalysis

Abstract

Photocatalysis is an emerging field that exploits light-absorbing catalysts to yield transformations not even achievable in the dark. Considering the drawbacks of metal-based photocatalysts, Carbon Dots (CDs) recently emerged as suitable green alternatives for different photocatalytic reactions. These carbon nanoparticles are easy to prepare, non-toxic and potentially recyclable. Moreover, CDs usually display core-shell structures which are highly tunable via synthetic and post-synthetic strategies. This Concept Article focuses on the recent advancements in the CD-based photocatalysis, highlighting the link between their superficial and core composition and their resulting photo-redox abilities, and giving future perspectives on their application in cutting-edge areas.