Optical and structural characterization of zinc-functionalized niacin-derived carbon quantum dots

Authors

Kevin Howard B. Chua ⋅ PH Department of Physical Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Mark Laurence A. Felipe ⋅ PH Department of Physical Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Joseph Edrick G. Gatpo ⋅ PH Department of Physical Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Rogelio G. Dizon ⋅ PH Department of Physical Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
John Dahrell J. Vilela ⋅ PH Department of Physical Sciences, Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Abstract

We comprehensively investigate niacin-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized via hydrothermal treatment, comparing samples with (Zn-CQDs) and without (NCQDs) zinc functionalization. We utilized UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize their optical properties, revealing enhanced and sharper π-π* transitions in Zn-CQDs and significantly higher fluorescence intensity across the visible spectrum compared to NCQDs. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified crucial surface functional groups, including O−H and C=O, and specifically confirmed Zn−O bonding in the functionalized samples. These spectroscopic analyses confirm the successful formation of carbon nanostructures and the effective functionalization by zinc, which notably improves the CQDs' optical performance and colloidal stability. The findings underscore the potential of zinc functionalization to tune CQD properties for various optical applications.

Issue

2025: Proceedings of the 43rd Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas Physics Conference

Article ID

SPP-2025-PA-31

Section

Poster Session PA (Photonics, Condensed Matter, Materials and Quantum Science)

Published

2025-06-18

How to Cite

[1]

KHB Chua, MLA Felipe, JEG Gatpo, RG Dizon, and JDJ Vilela, Optical and structural characterization of zinc-functionalized niacin-derived carbon quantum dots, Proceedings of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas 43, SPP-2025-PA-31 (2025). URL: https://proceedings.spp-online.org/article/view/SPP-2025-PA-31.