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A nanocomposite of N-doped carbon dots with gold nanoparticles for visible light active photosensitisers

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Abstract

This study aims to report the synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) derived from biomass, tannic acid and polyethyleneimine, which is a N-doping agent. The N-doping of CDs is found to enhance singlet oxygen (1O2) generation under visible light irradiation. Additionally, the N-CDs work as both a reducing agent and stabiliser, and hence the N-CDs can directly reduce chloroauric acid to form gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) without adding other reducers and stabilisers. The as-prepared N-CD–Au NP nanocomposite possesses 2.3 times higher photosensitising ability for producing 1O2 than N-CDs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the enhancement of the photosensitising ability of N-CDs by Au NPs. We suggest that the plasmon coupling of Au NPs with the N-CDs causes the energy transfer from the N-CDs to the ground state oxygen (3O2), thus resulting in an increased 1O2 generation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering, Kansai University, Suita-shi, Osaka, 564-8680, Japan

    Takashi Nozaki, Tomomi Kakuda & Hideya Kawasaki

  2. International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, 686560, Kottayam, Kerala, India

    Yasir Beeran Pottathara

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  1. Takashi Nozaki
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  2. Tomomi Kakuda
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  3. Yasir Beeran Pottathara
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  4. Hideya Kawasaki
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Correspondence to Hideya Kawasaki.

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Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c9pp00035f

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Nozaki, T., Kakuda, T., Pottathara, Y.B. et al. A nanocomposite of N-doped carbon dots with gold nanoparticles for visible light active photosensitisers. Photochem Photobiol Sci 18, 1235–1241 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1039/c9pp00035f

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