EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Volume 5, Issue 2, 2020: 69-73 | www.ejmse.ro | ISSN: 2537-4338

DOI: 10.36868/ejmse.2020.05.02.069

SYNTHESIS OF CARBON QUANTUM DOTS FROM FOOD

PRODUCTS, HYDROTHERMAL CARBONIZATION METHOD

Zuzanna IWIŃSKA1, Paweł PIETRUSIEWICZ1,*

1
Department of Physics, Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology,
Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armi Krajowej Str., 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland

Abstract

The article describes the preparation and filtration of a solution containing carbon quantum
dots. In this paper carbon quantum dots were obtained from food products, cheap and
environmentally friendly hydrothermal carbonization method, without using toxic chemicals
reagents. Moreover, to study the optical properties of the carbon quantum dots UV-VIS
absorbtion were carried out. The maximum absorbance was determined in the range of  
377to 408nm. Furthermore, carbon quantum dots were found to emit
green light.

Keywords: hydrothermal carbonization; carbon quantum dots, UV-VIS spectrophotometry.

Introduction

Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) are a new class of carbon nanomaterials, typically less
than 10nm in size. Moreover, it is considered that CQDs structure consists of a graphite core
with surface functional groups. Their discovery was documented in 2004, until 2006 they
received the name "carbon quantum dots". Since then, CQDs have attracted significant and
growing interest due to their unique properties that enable their use in many branches of
science. The most important of them are photoluminescence, biocompatibility, good water
solubility, photostability and low toxicity. Therefore, research is being carried out on the use of
CQDs in, among others, bioimaging, drug delivery, photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices.
Furthermore, they are also used as biosensors (e.g. for visual glucose monitoring) [1-3]. The
first methods of synthesis used the strong influence of energy on the carbon source, which
resulted in the formation of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles. An example of this approach is
laser ablation [4-6]. Nowadays, CQDs synthesis methods are divided into two main groups:
bottom-up and top-down. Bottom-up methods rely on the synthesis of CQDs from molecular
precursors, whereas top-down methods rely on breaking down larger carbon structures [1].
During the synthesis of CQDs, there are three basic problems to consider: carbonaceous
aggregation during carbonization, control of size and homogeneity, surface properties that can
be modified during preparation and after processing [7]. Top-down processing methods include
molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), electron lithography and X-ray lithography. Bottom-up
methods include into wet-chemical and vapor-phase methods. Moreover, bottom-up methods
also include hydrothermal methods consisting in the synthesis in an aqueous solution, at high
temperature and under high pressure of steam [8-10]. The rapid development of nanomaterials
synthesis techniques has brought many benefits in various fields of science and engineering, but
also introduced several new problems. One of them is the synthesis of nanomaterials, which
usually requires high energy consumption and the use of toxic chemical reagents. It is generally
thought that synthesis methods increase production costs and aren’t environmentally friendly.

Corresponding author: pawel.pietrusiewicz@pcz.pl

Z. IWIŃSKA et al.

Therefore, research is ongoing on the use of environmentally friendly and renewable raw
materials [11-12]. Through, hydrothermal carbonization method, carbon quantum dots can be
obtained from any biomass. It is a cheap, eco friendly and non-toxic way to produce CQDs
from many carbon precursors. Typically, the carbon precursor solution is sealed and reacts in a
hydrothermal reactor at high temperature [9,13-14].
In this paper carbon quantum dots were synthesised with hydrothermal carbonization
method from gelatin and a hypoallergenic milk for the babies. Gelatin and a hypoallergenic
milk were used for the synthesis due to the high content of amino acids, which has a beneficial
effect on the preparation of CQDs with high photoluminescence quantum yield. Toxic
chemicals weren’t used to obtain CQDs [15-16].

Experimental

The precursor of carbon to obtain carbon quantum dots was commercial gelatin, spirit
vinegar (10% acidity) and a hypoallergenic milk. Sample 1 was prepared from 13.2g of gelatin
dissolved in 40ml distilled water with the addition of 2.5ml spirit vinegar. Then the solution
was poured into a stainless steel autoclave with a Teflon liner and heated for 6h at 180℃ . Fig.
1 presents picture of autoclave. Subsequently, the autoclave was cooled to room temperature.
The resulting solution was diluted three times, five times and ten times with distilled water.
Sample 2 was prepared from 1g of gelatin dissolved in 40ml distilled water with the addition of
1ml spirit vinegar. Next, the solution was placed in an autoclave and heated for 3h at 200°C.
Sample 3 was prepared and filtered similary to Sample 2, without the addition of spirit vinegar.
Sample 4 was prepared with 4.5g of hypoallergenic milk and 30ml of distilled water, then the
solution was placed in an autoclave and heated for 3h at 180 ° C. All the resulting solutions
were ultrasonicated for 10min, centrifuged for 45min at 6000 rpm, washed with
dichloromethane to remove the unreacted organic moieties and then filtered using PES filters.
Fig. 2 illustrated scheme of production and filtration solution of CQDs.
The UV-VIS cary 100 Bio spectrophotometer from Varian and the Al-Prof SM1 Hm
spectrometer were used to characterize the optical properties of carbon quantum dots.

Fig. 1. Autoclave with a Teflon liner

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Fig. 2. Scheme of production and filtration

Results and Discussion

Using UV-VIS spectrophotometry, the maximum absorbance of carbon quantum dots

obtained from food products was determined. The absorption specrum for sample 1, diluted
three times is illustrated in Fig. 3

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Z. IWIŃSKA et al.

Fig. 3. UV–VIS absorption spectrum

Fig. 3 shows the UV - VIS spectrum for an aqueous CQDs solution obtained from
gelatin, diluted three times. As shown in Fig. 3, the absorbance spectrum shows a broad peak in
the range of ⁓ 368nm to ⁓ 440nm, with a maximum at 408nm. Based on the range of
absorbance spectra and its maximum values, it can be assumed that there was n– π * transition
of CQO bonds or other connected groups in all samples.
The maximum emission of CQDs was determined using the Al-Prof SM1 Hm
spectrometer. The results are presented in Fig. 4 for sample 1, diluted three times.

Fig. 4. Sample 1: a) photoluminescence emission spectrum, b) sample under UV light

Fig. 4 presents the photoluminescence spectrum of sample 1 diluted three times. The
maximum emission of excited carbon quantum dots was ⁓558nm. Determination of the
maximum corresponds to the wavelength for green emission.

Conclusions

Commercial gelatin and hypoallergenic milk for babies was used for the research.
Based on the literature data, this food products were selected due to the high content of amino
acids in the composition, which in turn affects the quantum yield and fluorescence properties of
the obtained quantum carbon dots. Optical properties were tested using a UV - VIS
spectrophotometer. All of the tested samples show broad absorbance peaks which may indicate
molecular excitation in the wavelength range corresponding to ultraviolet and violet light.
Based on UV-VIS spectra, it can be assumed that the concentration of the solution affects its
optical properties. The excitation of the obtained carbon quantum dots was induced by a UV
lamp emitting light in the range from 360 to 370 nm. All soulutions were found to emit green
light. Based on the UV-VIS spectrophotometric and spectrometric analysis and based on the
literature data, it can be assumed that the obtained solutions contain carbon quantum dots. This
article proves that it is possible to obtain CQDs from food products, cheap and environmentally
friendly hydrothermal carbonization method. Toxic chemicals weren’t used to produce CQDs.

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Received: April 25, 2020

Accepted: May 28, 2020

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