Synthesis of Carbon Quantum Dots from Corn Silk

Abstract

In this paper, we developed a facile approach to produce carbon quantum dots (CQDs) using corn silk, a sustainable and natural resource. Corn silk is often used in health products due to its medicinal qualities. However, it has been understudied in terms of its potential to create materials with optical and biological characteristics. These synthesized CQDs were characterized using several techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear microscope resonance (NMR), UV−vis absorption spectra, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, zeta potential, transmission electron microscope (TEM). The latter has revealed that the product has mostly spherical shapes with an average size 9 nm in diameter with d-spacing 0.24 nm. The FTIR results reveal that the presence of functional groups (including carbonyl, hydroxyl, and amine groups) endows the CQDs with good solubility in water.