Scalable Synthesis of Thermally Robust Carbon Dot-Silica Microspheres Enabling High-Temperature Polymer Processing and Multifunctional Luminescent Composites.

ABSTRACT: Carbon dots (C-dots) are promising fluorescent nanomaterials, yet their inherent thermal and environmental instability, coupled with challenges in achieving independent control over emission wavelength, intensity, and composite transparency in polymer matrices, severely limit their practical utility. Here, we present a scalable spray-drying strategy to synthesize C-dot-embedded silica (SiO₂) microspheres featuring a dense shell with low accessible porosity. This unique, dense SiO₂ shell effectively encapsulates C-dots, providing remarkable thermal stability up to 350 °C. Our method also enables precise tuning of emission wavelength from blue to yellow by simply adjusting the C-dot concentration within the spheres during synthesis. Crucially, the incorporation of these

SUBMITTER: Iwabayashi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12828719 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature