Carbon nitride quantum dots and their applications

This chapter discusses graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) quantum dot (CNQD), which is a novel carbon-containing material. The synthetic resource of g-C3N4 comes from bulk carbon material, such as melamine or urea powder. Further quantized synthesis of g-C₃N₄ is often performed by thermal etching and hydrothermal method. After the preliminary steps during synthesis, bulk g-C₃N₄ lumps into a sheet and then splits into a spot-shaped material. CNQDs equipped with multiple electronic properties can be modified as a photocatalytic material that can be extensively used in electrochemistry. Moreover, g-C₃N₄ is a candidate for biological applications, e.g., the blue fluorescence of g-C₃N₄ may be used for biological imaging. This chapter explores the synthesis and properties of CNQDs. The unique advantageous properties from CNQDs will be applied in current science and technology.