The development of carbon dots: From the perspective of materials chemistry

The advance of materials chemistry has influenced significantly the lifestyle mankind. By virtue their fascinating physicochemical nature – including ultrasmall size (<10 nm), rich functional groups, fluorescence, chemical stability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity carbon dots have been acclaimed as another epoch-making carbon-based nanomaterial following on from fullerene, nanotubes, graphene. However, field dot-based remains incomplete because wide structural diversity, meaning that much fundamental knowledge still needs to be uncovered. Herein, this review proposed several novel viewpoints in term material chemistry, development history, classification, design principle applications dots-based materials. Finally, sound prospects filed are also given.