Structure–Optical Properties and Sustainability Assessment of Carbon Dots Derived from Laurus nobilis Leaves

Authors:
Preprint
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) derived from renewable biomass are emerging as sustainable alternatives to traditional nanomaterials for applications in bioimaging, sensing, and photonics. In this study, we report a one-step hydrothermal synthesis of photoluminescent CDs from Laurus nobilis leaves particularly spread in the Mediterranean area. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited average diameters of 3–5 nm and high colloidal stability in water. Structural analysis by XRD revealed the presence of amorphous graphitic domains, while FTIR spectroscopy confirmed oxygenated functional groups on the CD surface. Spectrofluorimetric analysis showed excitation-dependent blue–green emission with a maximum at 490 nm that can be applied also as label agents for cells. The environmental sustainability of the synthesis was evaluated through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), highlighting that the current impacts are primarily associated with electricity consumption, due to the laboratory-scale nature of the process. These impacts are expected to decrease significantly with future scale-up and process optimization.
All Related Versions

This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit: