Carbon Dots in Stationary Phase of Chromatography, Enhanced Crop Yield, and Stationary Phase of Chromatography

Abstract

The scientific research area has been paying close attention to carbon dots (CDs) over the last decade. They perform exceptional optical and chemical properties because of their size-dependent quantum confinement effects, minimal toxicity, improved biocompatibility, and favorable charge and electric conductivity. So, they provide a unique affinity for different analytes, and high surface coverage makes them a promising alternative for different chromatographic methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC), which are useful in fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, forensics, environmental analysis, and more. This chapter focuses on understanding how CDs can improve the interaction between the stationary phase and the analytes, to explain the compounds’ rather interesting separation efficiency, selectivity, and sensitivity during chromatographic analyses. Then, we expose the criteria of choice of some examples of conventional stationary phases used in different chromatographic techniques and stationary phases, in terms of selectivity and efficiency of the separation. It therefore explains the processes involved in separating and quantifying the components of a chemical mixture using the chromatography technique, while discussing the advantages of using carbon dots as stationary phases. At last, we have compiled the properties of CDs in terms of remarkable photoluminescence, high quantum yield, low toxicity, small size, appreciable biocompatibility, and abundance sourced from low-cost carbon. These have been used to explain their separation efficiency, selectivity, and sensitivity to chromatographic analysis. In short, this chapter supports the use of carbon-dot-containing stationary phases over conventional stationary phases as a powerful analytical prospect, particularly for improving chromatography yield and stationary phase.