The present invention provides a rapid, scalable, and eco-friendly microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for synthesizing fluorescent carbon nanospheres. The process involves dissolving a carbon precursor in water, followed by microwave heating, centrifugation, and separation to isolate the nanospheres. The resulting product is washed and dried to yield highly fluorescent carbon nanospheres.
Figure 1. Dispersion and Fluorescence Stability of Carbon spheres at (a) Day 0 and (b) Day 30.
Conventional hydrothermal methods for synthesizing carbon nanospheres are time-consuming and often result in inconsistent particle sizes. There is a pressing need for a faster, more controlled process that ensures uniform shape and size of the nanostructures.
- Eco-Friendly and Simplified Purification: The process uses water as a solvent, eliminating the need for toxic chemicals and complex purification – centrifugation and washing are sufficient to obtain pure carbon nanospheres.
- Size Tunability: Particle size can be precisely controlled by adjusting reaction temperature (50°C–200°C) and sucrose concentration, enabling customization for various applications.
- Soft-Template Capability: The solid spheres serve as ideal soft templates for fabricating hollow nanostructures, expanding their utility in drug delivery, catalysis, and sensing.
- Microwave-Assisted Synthesis: The process enables rapid, energy-efficient production compared to conventional hydrothermal methods, making the process scalable and cost-effective.
- Excellent Water Dispersibility and Stability: The synthesized nanospheres remain uniformly suspended in aqueous media.
The present invention provides a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of fluorescent carbon nanospheres. In this process, a carbon precursor such as sucrose is first dissolved in water to obtain a homogeneous aqueous solution. This solution is then subjected to microwave heating in a digester, which facilitates rapid hydrothermal carbonization, leading to the formation of fluorescent carbon nanostructures. The resulting heated solution is centrifuged to separate the solid product from the supernatant. The collected solid is subsequently washed with water to remove any remaining impurities and then dried to obtain pure, fluorescent carbon nanospheres.
Technology synthesized and evaluated in vitro till proof-of-concept.
3
This green, water-based synthesis method eliminates the use of toxic chemicals, making it environmentally friendly and safe for widespread use.
- Biomedical
- Pharmaceuticals
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical
- Environmental Monitoring
Geography of IP
Type of IP
202021047003
441538