Carbon quantum dots for optical sensor applications: A review

An excellent photoluminescence properties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) offers great potential in sensing applications. The remarkable optical properties are promptly accessible to be recorded as a potential sensing signal. This paper highlights the recent advances of CQDs application as the sensing materials in optical sensor technology. The modification of CQDs via physical and chemical approaches tremendously improves its physicochemical properties, producing an excellent sensing output. The interaction mechanism between CQDs and chemical analytes is analyzed through dipole-dipole interaction and charge transfer. Such interactions change their fluorescence properties, leading to the enhancement of fluorescence signals and improved the optical sensor performances. The incorporation of CQDs with numerous optical detection method further improve the optical sensor advancement. The application of CQDs as sensing materials in diverse optical sensing techniques is also discussed in this review. Finally, the current challenges of the present and the perspective for the forthcoming future are critically assessed in the concluding section.