Intrinsically fluorescent nitrogen-containing carbon nanoparticles synthesized by a hydrothermal process Original Research Article

A one-step synthesis strategy has been developed for producing nitrogen-containing carbon nanoparticles from glucosamine hydrochloride. The carbon nanoparticles demonstrate excitation wavelength-independent photoluminescence behavior when the excitation wavelength is changed from 430 to 470 nm. The surface of these nitrogen-containing carbon nanoparticles is decorated with carboxylic acid and aromatic amine groups, which can be employed for further surface functionalization. On the basis of the studies using transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Raman, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy and photoluminescence, a formation mechanism for these nitrogen-containing carbon nanoparticles from glucosamine hydrochloride is proposed.