Room temperature phosphorescent carbon dots for latent fingerprints detection and in vivo phosphorescence bioimaging

Abstract Up to date, most of room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) carbon dots (CDs) have been applied to information encryption, anticounterfeiting and sensing. However, quite a few studies on RTP CDs for latent fingerprints (LFPs) detection and in vivo bioimaging. In the present work, CDs-based luminophore (CD71) was prepared from neutral red, KNO3, MgCl2 and KH2PO4 and it maintains high phosphorescence quantum yield (24.4% and 22.5%) and long lifetime (546 ms and 616 ms), whether in solid or solution state, which is in the high level for CDs-based RTP phosphors heretofore. Benefit from the unique RTP performance of CD71, CD71 powder is successfully utilized as an efficient phosphorescence marker for LPFs detection with high contrast and wide applicability. While CD71 solution is a prominent phosphorescence probe for in vivo afterglow bioimaging.