In-situ controllable synthesis of carbon dots for patterned fluorescent wood films rapid fabrication strategy

Abstract

Fluorescent-patterned materials are widely used in information storage and encryption. However, preparing a patterned fluorescent display on a matrix currently requires a time-consuming (hours or even days) and complex multi-step process. Herein, a rapid and mild technique developed for the in-situ controllable synthesis of fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) on eco-friendly transparent wood films (TEMPO-oxidized carboxyl wood film [TOWF]) within a few minutes was developed. A wood skeleton was employed as the carbon precursor for NCD synthesis as well as the matrix for the uniform and controlled distribution of NCDs. Moreover, the in-situ synthesis mechanism for preparing NCDs in TOWF was proposed. The resulting fluorescent wood films have excellent tensile strength (310.00 ± 15.57 MPa), high transmittance (76.2%), high haze (95.0%), UV-blocking properties in the full ultraviolet (UV) range, and fluorescent performance that can be modified by changing the heating parameters. Fluorescent patterning was simply achieved by regulating the in-situ NCD synthesis regions, and the fluorescent patterns were formed within 10 s. These fluorescent-patterned wood films can effectively store and encrypt information, and they can interact with external information through a transparent matrix. This work provides a green and efficient strategy for fabricating fluorescent information storage and encryption materials.

Keywords

carbon dots / fluorescent pattern / information encryption / in-situ synthesis / wood film

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2024 The Authors. Aggregate published by SCUT, AIEI and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.