Figure 2 | Schematic diagram of the mechanism of ultrasonic response CNDs and the related energy level transitions. (IMAGE)
Caption
Figure 2 | Schematic diagram of the mechanism of ultrasonic response CNDs and the related energy level transitions. In this study, the authors considered that cyclodextrins have hydrophobic cavities and abundant hydrophilic hydroxyl groups. Through self-assembly, the luminescent materials can be confined within rigid hydrophobic cavities, thus avoiding the influence of quenching agents in the solution and suppressing free molecular motion, achieving room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). Meanwhile, the external hydrophilic groups can ensure water solubility (Figure 2). Furthermore, as the cyclodextrin crystal structure gradually forms under ultrasound conditions, the rigidity around the carbon dots (CNDs) increases, allowing for ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence. Additionally, the authors chose phosphorescent CNDs as emitters to investigate their assembly process with cyclodextrins in aqueous solution under ultrasound stimulation. The results show that the prepared ultrasound-responsive CNDs not only exhibit good water solubility and ultrasound-responsive characteristics but also possess high stability, making them suitable for practical applications. To our knowledge, this is also the first report of composite materials exhibiting both long lifetime and ultrasound-responsive characteristics under such conditions.
Credit
Yachuan Liang et al.
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