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Vol. 38 No. 6 (2026): Vol. 38 Issue No 6, 2026

Copyright (c) 2026 RUBY G GUNA SEKARAN, BHAVANI P

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hetero Atom doped Carbon Quantum Dots as Smart Materials for Corrosion Application

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2026.35831
G. Ruby
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, R.V. Government Arts College, Chengalpattu-603001, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7657-6507
P. Bhavani
PG and Research Department of Chemistry, R.V. Government Arts College, Chengalpattu-603001, India

Corresponding Author(s) : P. Bhavani

bhavaniperumal4@gmail.com

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 38 No. 6 (2026): Vol. 38 Issue No 6, 2026

Abstract

In this work, nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon quantum dots (N,B-CQDs) were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and evaluated as fluorescence-based probes for corrosion monitoring. The incorporation of nitrogen and boron modified the electronic structure and surface chemistry of the CQDs, resulting in enhanced photoluminescence stability, strong fluorescence intensity and improved environmental stability. The synthesized N,B-CQDs exhibited uniform spherical morphology (4-8 nm) with bright blue fluorescence under UV irradiation. The structural, optical and surface properties of the N,B-CQDs were characterized using TEM, XRD, UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, FTIR, XPS and TCSPC analyses. The N,B-CQDs showed high sensitivity and selectivity toward Fe3+ ions and pH variation, both of which are important indicators of corrosion processes. Fluorescence quenching occurred predominantly through static interaction with partial inner filter effect contribution. In addition, the CQDs exhibited reversible pH-responsive fluorescence behaviour suitable for repetitive monitoring. The results demonstrate that N,B-CQDs are promising fluorescent nanoprobes for sensitive, non-destructive and real-time corrosion monitoring applications.

Keywords

Carbon quantum dots Corrosion monitoring Electronic structure Surface chemistry Photoluminescence
(1)
Ruby, G.; Bhavani, P. Hetero Atom Doped Carbon Quantum Dots As Smart Materials for Corrosion Application. ajc 2026, 38, 1515-1523.
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