Development of nitrogen doped carbon dot (N-CDs) encapsulated zeolitic imidazolate Framework-8 (N-CDs@ZIF-8)

Abstract In the present study, bright fluorescent nitrogen doped carbon dot are synthesized via microwave method. The as synthesized N-CDs showed no fluorescence in solid state due to aggregation of the carbon dot. But when dispersed in water, it forms a colloidal solution and shows a bright yellowish green fluorescence. These carbon dots are encapsulated into zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) by solvothermal method. Encapsulated composites (N-CDs@ZIF-8) retained the fluorescence in solid state. The FE-SEM image suggests that the ZIF-8 has rectangular structure. But the encapsulation causes a distortion in morphology. The encapsulation is further validated by the FT-IR, UV/VIS, Fluorescence spectra, XRD, EDAX and TGA.