Synthesis and Photoluminescence Properties of Carbon Dots from Moringa Oleifera Leaves

Abstract

The nature of the precursor material used in the synthesis of carbon dots can easily affect their properties. Biomass-derived carbon sources are encouraged because they are ecologically sustainable and provide numerous benefits compared to alternative carbon sources. This work presents the synthesis of carbon dots derived from Moringa oleifera leaves using a hydrothermal synthesis technique. The optical, morphological and structural properties of the obtained carbon dots were characterized using UV-vis absorption spectrophotometer, photoluminscence (PL), transition electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, respectively. The TEM revealed nearly spherical-shaped dot particles with an average size of 11.24 nm in diameter. The optical properties showed that the obtained carbon dots have green fluorescence, and the fluorescence spectra were found to red-shift as the excitation wavelength increased.