Hydrothermally enhanced photoluminescence of carbon nanoparticles

Luminescent carbon nanoparticles were prepared from natural gas soot. The photoluminescence was found to be enhanced more than 10-fold when the particles were subjected to hydrothermal treatment between 200 and 340 °C for up to 15 h. This was accounted for by the effective removal of quinone moieties from the particle surface. Consistent results were obtained from UV–visible, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electrochemical measurements. The correlation may be exploited for controlled manipulation of nanoparticle optoelectronic properties.