Diana Maria Antunes Crista

Abstract <jats:p>Carbon dots (CDs) are fluorescence carbon-based nanomaterials that possess several properties such as photoluminescence, biocompatibility and good water solubility. They can be fabricated from a large variety of precursors; however, most available organic molecules are still expensive and their use or synthesis can lead to significant challenges to the environment and human health. It has become desirable to use biomass waste as alternative precursors in the synthesis of CDs, given that biomass waste material is ubiquitous, nontoxic, cheap and renewable. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are the residues of the treatment of coffee powder can be a potential carbon source to a more environmentally sustainable synthesis route. In this work, we fabricated SCG-based CDs via one-pot and solvent-free carbonization at 200 °C of solid samples generating particles with sizes between 2.1 and 3.9 nm. These carbon nanoparticles exhibited blue fluorescence and excitation-dependent emission of carbon dots with moderate quantum yields (2.9–5.8%). The presence of heavy metals in water resources, such as Fe3+, can lead to adverse health effects. SCG-based CDs showed potential for being used as optical Fe3+ optical sensors, with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies validating the SCGs as more sustainable precursors than classical precursors, both considering a weight- or function-based functional unit.</jats:p>

Abstract Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are known for containing many organic compounds of interest, including carbohydrates, lipids, phenolic compounds and proteins. Therefore, we investigated them as a potential source to obtain carbon dots (CDs) via a nanotechnology approach. Herein, a comparison was performed between CDs produced by SCGs and classic precursors (e.g., citric acid and urea). The SCG-based CDs were obtained via the one-pot and solvent-free carbonization of solid samples, generating nanosized particles (2.1-3.9 nm). These nanoparticles exhibited a blue fluorescence with moderate quantum yields (2.9-5.8%) and an excitation-dependent emission characteristic of carbon dots. SCG-based CDs showed potential as environmentally relevant fluorescent probes for Fe(3+)in water. More importantly, life cycle assessment studies validated the production of CDs from SCG samples as a more environmentally sustainable route, as compared to those using classic reported precursors, when considering either a weight- or a function-based functional unit.

Abstract This work aims to apply photonic-crystal-based nanocoatings with unusual aesthetical orientation to wood application. Structural colors are currently a formula to achieve those colorful coatings including nonfading properties. They can be produced from self-assembled colloidal spheres into photonic crystals, which possess particular optical properties. Herein, photonic crystals with iridescent structural colors were prepared from the self-assembly of monodispersed nanospheres. Particle sizes can be adjusted from 308 to 196 nm, and well-ordered structures are arranged through self-assembly process into films, which exhibit brilliant colors over a wide visible spectrum, from red to violet. Color varies with the angle of observation of incidence light. The present study provided an effective and simple approach to prepare structural color films and their practical application to wood coating for an aesthetic appeal.

Abstract Carbon dots (CDs) are carbon-based nanoparticles with very attractive luminescence features. Furthermore, their synthesis by bottom-up strategies is quite flexible, as tuning the reaction precursors and synthesis procedures can lead to an endless number of CDs with distinct properties and applications. However, this complex variability has made the characterization of the structural and optical properties of the nanomaterials difficult. Herein, we performed a systematic evaluation of the effect of three representative bottom-up strategies (hydrothermal, microwave-assisted, and calcination) on the properties of CDs prepared from the same precursors (citric acid and urea). Our results revealed that these synthesis routes led to nanoparticles with similar sizes, identical excitation-dependent blue-to-green emission, and similar surface-functionalization. However, we have also found that microwave and calcination strategies are more efficient towards nitrogen-doping than hydrothermal synthesis, and thus, the former routes are able to generate CDs with significantly higher fluorescence quantum yields than the latter. Furthermore, the different synthesis strategies appear to have a role in the origin of the photoluminescence of the CDs, as hydrothermal-based nanoparticles present an emission more dependent on surface states, while microwave- and calcination-based CDs present an emission with more contributions from core states. Furthermore, calcination and microwave routes are more suitable for high-yield synthesis (similar to 27-29%), while hydrothermal synthesis present almost negligible synthesis yields (similar to 2%). Finally, life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to investigate the sustainability of these processes and indicated microwave synthesis as the best choice for future studies.

Abstract The selective fluorescence sensing of fructose was achieved by fluorescence quenching of the emission of hydrothermal-synthesized carbon quantum dots prepared by 3-hydroxyphenylboronic acid. Quantification of fructose was possible in aqueous solutions with pH of 9 (Limit of Detection L-OD and Limit of Quantification L-OQ of 2.04 and 6.12mM), by quenching of the emission at 376nm and excitation similar to 380nm with a linearity range of 0-150mM. A Stern-Volmer constant (K-SV) of 2.11x10(-2)mM(-1) was obtained, while a fluorescent quantum yield of 31% was calculated. The sensitivity of this assay towards fructose was confirmed by comparison with other sugars (such as glucose, sucrose and lactose). Finally, the validity of the proposed assays was further demonstrated by performing recovery assays in different matrixes.