Functionalized carbon dots for corrosion protection: Recent advances and future perspectives

Abstract

Metal corrosion causes significant economic losses, safety issues, and environmental pollution. Hence, its prevention is of immense research interest. Carbon dots (CDs) are a new class of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, which have been considered for corrosion protection applications in recent years due to their corrosion inhibition effect, fluorescence, low toxicity, facile chemical modification, and cost-effectiveness. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis, physical and chemical properties, and anticorrosion mechanisms of functionalized CDs. First, the corrosion inhibition performance of different types of CDs is introduced, followed by discussion on their application in the development of smart protective coatings with self-healing and/or self-reporting properties. The effective barrier formed by CDs in the coatings can inhibit the spread of local damage and achieve self-healing behavior. In addition, diverse functional groups on CDs can interact with Fe³⁺ and H⁺ ions generated during the corrosion process; this interaction changes their fluorescence, thereby demonstrating self-reporting behavior. Moreover, challenges and prospects for the development of CD-based corrosion protection systems are also presented.

Keywords

carbon dots / corrosion protection / corrosion inhibitors / self-healing / self-reporting

References

[1] Zhang RH, Xiong LP, He ZY, Pu JB, Guo L. Synthesis and structure of water-soluble Sb quantum dots and enhanced corrosion inhibition performance and mechanisms. Inorg. Chem., 2021, 60(21): 16346.

[2] Zhou QZ, Yuan GH, Lin MJ, et al. Large-scale electrochemical fabrication of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots and their application as corrosion inhibitor for copper. J. Mater. Sci., 2021, 56(22): 12909.

[3] M. Ouakki, M. Galai, and M. Cherkaoui, Imidazole derivatives as efficient and potential class of corrosion inhibitors for metals and alloys in aqueous electrolytes: A review, J. Mol. Liq., 345(2022), art. No. 117815.

[4] Zhang F, Ju PF, Pan MQ, et al. Self-healing mechanisms in smart protective coatings: A review. Corros. Sci., 2018, 144, 74.

[5] J.K. Wang, L.W. Ma, X. Guo, et al., Two birds with one stone: Nanocontainers with synergetic inhibition and corrosion sensing abilities towards intelligent self-healing and self-reporting coating, Chem. Eng. J., 433(2022), art. No. 134515.

[6] X.M. Xu, H.Y. Wei, M.G. Liu, et al., Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots for effective corrosion inhibition of Q235 steel in concentrated sulphuric acid solution, Mater. Today Commun., 29(2021), art. No. 102872.

[7] Pourhashem S, Ghasemy E, Rashidi A, Vaezi MR. Corrosion protection properties of novel epoxy nanocomposite coatings containing silane functionalized graphene quantum dots. J. Alloys Compd., 2018, 731, 1112.

[8] Wang D, Ma Q, Tian KH, Duan CQ, Wang ZY, Liu YG. Ultrafine nano-scale Cu₂Sb alloy confined in three-dimensional porous carbon as an anode for sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2021, 28(10): 1666.

[9] H.Y. Cen, X. Zhang, L. Zhao, Z.Y. Chen, and X.P. Guo, Carbon dots as effective corrosion inhibitor for 5052 aluminium alloy in 0.1 M HCl solution, Corros. Sci., 161(2019), art. No. 108197.

[10] Huang Y, Wang PJ, Tan WM, et al. Photothermal and pH dual-responsive self-healing coating for smart corrosion protection. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 107, 34.

[11] J.K. Wang, L.W. Ma, Y. Huang, et al, Photothermally activated self-healing protective coating based on the “close and seal” dual-action mechanisms, Composites Part B, 231(2022), art. No. 109574.

[12] S.Y. Zeng, F. Zhang, Y.H. Liu, S.L. Ouyang, Y.W. Ye, and H. Chen, Synthesis of Ce, N co-doped carbon dots as green and effective corrosion inhibitor for copper in acid environment, J. Taiwan. Inst. Chem. Eng., 141(2022), art. No. 104608.

[13] Palaniselvam T, Kashyap V, Bhange SN, Baek J, Kurungot S. Nanoporous graphene enriched with Fe/Co - N active sites as a promising oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2016, 26(13): 2150.

[14] Du QK, Wu QX, Wang HX, et al. Carbon dot-modified silicon nanoparticles for lithium-ion batteries. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2021, 28(10): 1603.

[15] Zhu JJ, Zhu MY, Zhang RH, He ZY, Xiong LP, Guo L. Corrosion inhibition behavior of electrochemically synthesized carbon dots on Q235 carbon steel. J. Adhes. Sci. Technol., 2023, 37(13): 1997.

[16] S.Y. Zheng, L. Feng, Z.Y. Hu, J.N. Li, H.L. Zhu, and X.M. Ma, Study on the corrosion inhibition of biomass carbon quantum dot self-aggregation on Q235 steel in hydrochloric acid, Arab. J. Chem., 16(2023), No. 4, art. No. 104605.

[17] T.T. Zhang, D.Q. Zhang, P.P. Wu, and L.X. Gao, Corrosion inhibition of high-nitrogen-doped CDs for copper in 3w% NaCl solution, J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 138(2022), art. No. 104462.

[18] Hao JA, Li LY, Zhao WW, et al. Synthesis and application of CCQDs as a novel type of environmentally friendly scale inhibitor. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2019, 11(9): 9277.

[19] Keerthana AK, Ashraf PM. Carbon nanodots synthesized from chitosan and its application as a corrosion inhibitor in boat-building carbon steel BIS2062. Appl. Nanosci., 2020, 10(4): 1061.

[20] L.W. Ma, C.H. Ren, J.K. Wang, et al., Self-reporting coatings for autonomous detection of coating damage and metal corrosion: A review, Chem. Eng. J., 421(2021), art. No. 127854.

[21] Liu T, Ma LW, Wang X, et al. Self-healing corrosion protective coatings based on micro/nanocarriers: A review. Corros. Commun., 2021, 1, 18.

[22] Xu Q, Pu P, Zhao JG, et al. Preparation of highly photoluminescent sulfur-doped carbon dots for Fe(III) detection. J. Mater. Chem. A., 2015, 3(2): 542.

[23] Wang RX, Wang XF, Sun YM. One-step synthesis of self-doped carbon dots with highly photoluminescence as multifunctional biosensors for detection of iron ions and pH. Sens. Actuators B, 2017, 241, 73.

[24] Zhang HD, Chen AY, Gan B, Jiang H, Gu LJ. Corrosion protection investigations of carbon dots and polydopamine composite coating on magnesium alloy. J. Magnes. Alloys, 2022, 10(5): 1358.

[25] Cheng HY, Li DC, Cheng BH, Jiang H. Highly stable and selective measurement of Fe³⁺ ions under environmentally relevant conditions via an excitation-based multi-wavelength method using N, S-doped carbon dots. Environ. Res., 2019, 170, 443.

[26] Zulfajri M, Gedda G, Chang CJ, Chang YP, Huang GG. Cranberry beans derived carbon dots as a potential fluorescence sensor for selective detection of Fe³⁺ ions in aqueous solution. ACS Omega, 2019, 4(13): 15382.

[27] L.M. Ruan, Y.J. Zhao, Z.H. Chen, et al., Ethylenediamine-as-sisted hydrothermal method to fabricate MoS₂ quantum dots in aqueous solution as a fluorescent probe for Feⁱ⁺ ion detection, Appl. Surf. Sci., 528(2020), art. No. 146811.

[28] C. Zhu, Y.J. Fu, C.A. Liu, et al., Carbon dots as fillers inducing healing/self-healing and anticorrosion properties in polymers, Adv. Mater., 29(2017), No. 32, art. No. 1701399.

[29] Liu CB, Jin ZY, Cheng L, Zhao HC, Wang LP. Synthesis of nanosensors for autonomous warning of damage and self-repairing in polymeric coatings. Nanoscale, 2020, 12(5): 3194.

[30] Hu SL, Zhao Q, Chang Q, Yang JL, Liu J. Enhanced performance of Fe³⁺ detection via fluorescence resonance energy transfer between carbon quantum dots and Rhodamine B. RSC Adv., 2014, 4(77): 41069.

[31] J. Zhang, J.B. Wang, J.P. Fu, X.C. Fu, W. Gan, and H.Q. Hao, Rapid synthesis of N, S co-doped carbon dots and their application for Fe³⁺ ion detection, J. Nanopart. Res., 20(2018), No. 2, art. No. 41.

[32] Pang S, Liu SY. Dual-emission carbon dots for ratiometric detection of Fe³⁺ ions and acid phosphatase. Anal. Chim. Acta, 2020, 1105, 155.

[33] Ren CH, Huang Y, Hao WK, et al. Multi-action self-healing coatings with simultaneous recovery of corrosion resistance and adhesion strength. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 101, 18.

[34] Zheng HZ, Wang QL, Long YJ, Zhang HJ, Huang XX, Zhu R. Enhancing the luminescence of carbon dots with a reduction pathway. Chem. Commun., 2011, 47(38): 10650.

[35] Wan S, Chen HK, Cai GY, Liao BK, Guo XP. Functionalization of h-BN by the exfoliation and modification of carbon dots for enhancing corrosion resistance of waterborne epoxy coating. Prog. Org. Coat., 2022, 165, 106757.

[36] Li S, Li L, Tu HY, et al. The development of carbon dots: From the perspective of materials chemistry. Mater. Today, 2021, 51, 188.

[37] Sun YP, Zhou B, Lin Y, et al. Quantum-sized carbon dots for bright and colorful photoluminescence. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128(24): 7756.

[38] Yu J, Song N, Zhang YK, Zhong SX, Wang AJ, Chen JR. Green preparation of carbon dots by Jinhua bergamot for sensitive and selective fluorescent detection of Hg²⁺ and Fe³⁺. Sens. Actuators B, 2015, 214, 29.

[39] C. Kang, Y. Huang, H. Yang, X.F. Yan, and Z.P. Chen, A review of carbon dots produced from biomass wastes, Nanomaterials, 10(2020), No. 11, art. No. 2316.

[40] Guo RT, Li L, Wang BW, et al. Functionalized carbon dots for advanced batteries. Energy Storage Mater., 2021, 37, 8.

[41] Q. Zhang, R. Wang, B. Feng, X. Zhong, and K.K. Ostrikov, Photoluminescence mechanism of carbon dots: Triggering high-color-purity red fluorescence emission through edge amino protonation, Nat. Commun., 12(2021), No. 1, art. No. 6856.

[42] Xie Z, Wang F, Liu CY. Organic-inorganic hybrid functional carbon dot gel glasses. Adv. Mater., 2012, 24(13): 1716.

[43] LeCroy GE, Sonkar SK, Yang F, et al. Toward structurally defined carbon dots as ultracompact fluorescent probes. ACS Nano, 2014, 8(5): 4522.

[44] Hu SL, Trinchi A, Atkin P, Cole I. Tunable photoluminescence across the entire visible spectrum from carbon dots excited by white light. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2015, 54(10): 2970.

[45] Feng H, Qian ZS. Functional carbon quantum dots: A versatile platform for chemosensing and biosensing. Chem. Rec., 2018, 18(5): 491.

[46] T. Atabaev, Doped carbon dots for sensing and bioimaging applications: A minireview, Nanomaterials, 8(2018), No. 5, art. No. 342.

[47] Mintz KJ, Guerrero B, Leblanc RM. Photoinduced electron transfer in carbon dots with long-wavelength photoluminescence. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2018, 122(51): 29507.

[48] Liu GX, Li BQ, Liu Y, Feng YJ, Jia DC, Zhou Y. Rapid and high yield synthesis of carbon dots with chelating ability derived from acrylamide/chitosan for selective detection of ferrous ions. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2019, 487, 1167.

[49] Kiran S, Misra RDK. Mechanism of intracellular detection of glucose through nonenzymatic and boronic acid functionalized carbon dots. J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 2015, 103(9): 2888.

[50] Barman MK, Patra A. Current status and prospects on chemical structure driven photoluminescence behaviour of carbon dots. J. Photochem. Photobiol. C, 2018, 37, 1.

[51] X.E. Li, J.A. Chu, Y.P. Cheng, F. Yang, and S.X. Xiong, Novel Prussian blue@Carbon-dots hybrid thin film: The impact of carbon-dots on material structure and electrochromic performance, Electrochim. Acta, 355(2020), art. No. 136659.

[52] Xu XY, Ray R, Gu YL, et al. Electrophoretic analysis and purification of fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube fragments. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004, 126(40): 12736.

[53] Dey S, Govindaraj A, Biswas K, Rao CNR. Luminescence properties of boron and nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots prepared from arc-discharge-generated doped graphene samples. Chem. Phys. Lett., 2014, 595–596, 203.

[54] Hu SL, Niu KY, Sun J, Yang J, Zhao NQ, Du XW. One-step synthesis of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles by laser irradiation. J. Mater. Chem., 2009, 19(4): 484.

[55] Zhou JG, Booker C, Li RY, et al. An electrochemical avenue to blue luminescent nanocrystals from multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129(4): 744.

[56] Bao L, Zhang ZL, Tian ZQ, et al. Electrochemical tuning of luminescent carbon nanodots: From preparation to luminescence mechanism. Adv. Mater., 2011, 23(48): 5801.

[57] Peng H, Travas-Sejdic J. Simple aqueous solution route to luminescent carbogenic dots from carbohydrates. Chem. Mater., 2009, 21(23): 5563.

[58] Atchudan R, Edison TNJI, Chakradhar D, Perumal S, Shim JJ, Lee YR. Facile green synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots using Chionanthus retusus fruit extract and investigation of their suitability for metal ion sensing and biological applications. Sens. Actuators B, 2017, 246, 497.

[59] B.Y. Wang, J.K. Yu, L.Z. Sui, et al., Rational design of multicolor-emissive carbon dots in a single reaction system by hydrothermal, Adv. Sci., 8(2021), No. 1, art. No. 2001453.

[60] Tang LB, Ji RB, Cao XK, et al. Deep ultraviolet photoluminescence of water-soluble self-passivated graphene quantum dots. ACS Nano, 2012, 6(6): 5102.

[61] Wang XH, Qu KG, Xu BL, Ren JS, Qu XG. Microwave assisted one-step green synthesis of cell-permeable multicolor photoluminescent carbon dots without surface passivation reagents. J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21(8): 2445.

[62] Q. Li, Z.L. Bai, X.J. Xi, et al., Rapid microwave-assisted green synthesis of guanine-derived carbon dots for highly selective detection of Ag+ in aqueous solution, Spectrochim. Acta Part A, 248(2021), art. No. 119208.

[63] Liu RL, Wu DQ, Liu SH, Koynov K, Knoll W, Li Q. An aqueous route to multicolor photoluminescent carbon dots using silica spheres as carriers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed Engl., 2009, 48(25): 4598.

[64] Shen JH, Zhu YH, Yang XL, Zong J, Zhang JM, Li CZ. One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of graphenequantum dots surface-passivated by polyethylene glycol and their photoelectric conversion under near-infrared light. New J. Chem., 2012, 36(1): 97.

[65] Anilkumar P, Cao L, Yu JJ, et al. Crosslinked carbon dots as ultra-bright fluorescence probes. Small, 2013, 9(4): 545.

[66] Liu CJ, Zhang P, Zhai XY, et al. Nano-carrier for gene delivery and bioimaging based on carbon dots with PEI-passivation enhanced fluorescence. Biomaterials, 2012, 33(13): 3604.

[67] Liao B, Long P, He BQ, et al. Reversible fluorescence modulation of spiropyran-functionalized carbon nanoparticles. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013, 1(23): 3716.

[68] S.H. Miao, K. Liang, J.J. Zhu, B. Yang, D.Y. Zhao, and B. Kong, Hetero-atom-doped carbon dots: Doping strategies, properties and applications, Nano Today, 33(2020), art. No. 100879.

[69] W.L. Wei, C. Xu, L. Wu, J.S. Wang, J.S. Ren, and X.G. Qu, Non-enzymatic-browning-reaction: A versatile route for production of nitrogen-doped carbon dots with tunable multicolor luminescent display, Sci. Rep., 4(2014), art. No. 3564.

[70] Sun D, Ban R, Zhang PH, Wu GH, Zhang JR, Zhu JJ. Hair fiber as a precursor for synthesizing of sulfur- and nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots with tunable luminescence properties. Carbon, 2013, 64, 424.

[71] Y.K. Fu, G.M. Zeng, C. Lai, et al., Hybrid architectures based on noble metals and carbon-based dots nanomaterials: A review of recent progress in synthesis and applications, Chem. Eng. J., 399(2020), art. No. 125743.

[72] Si QS, Guo WQ, Wang HZ, Liu BH, Ren NQ. Carbon quantum dots-based semiconductor preparation methods, applications and mechanisms in environmental contamination. Chin. Chem. Lett., 2020, 31(10): 2556.

[73] J.C. Liu, N. Wang, Y.E. Yu, et al., Carbon dots in zeolites: A new class of thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials with ultralong lifetimes, Sci. Adv., 3(2017), No. 5, art. No. e1603171.

[74] Dong YQ, Cai JH, Fang QQ, You X, Chi YW. Dualemission of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks encapsulating carbon-based dots for ratiometric detection of water in organic solvents. Anal. Chem., 2016, 88(3): 1748.

[75] Lu SY, Zhao XH, Zhu SJ, Song YB, Yang B. Novel cookie-with-chocolate carbon dots displaying extremely acidophilic high luminescence. Nanoscale, 2014, 6(22): 13939.

[76] Liu XX, Yang CL, Zheng BZ, et al. Green anhydrous synthesis of hydrophilic carbon dots on large-scale and their application for broad fluorescent pH sensing. Sens. Actuators B, 2018, 255, 572.

[77] S.M. Song, J.H. Hu, M.L. Li, X.J. Gong, C. Dong, and S.M. Shuang, Fe³⁺ and intracellular pH determination based on orange fluorescence carbon dots co-doped with boron, nitrogen and sulfur, Mater. Sci. Eng. C, 118(2021), art. No. 111478.

[78] M.J. Cui, Y. Yu, and Y.X. Zheng, Effective corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in hydrochloric acid by dopamine-produced carbon dots, Polymers, 13(2021), No. 12, art. No. 1923.

[79] F.H. Niu, G.G. Zhou, J.W. Zhu, et al., Inhibition behavior of nitrogen-doped carbon dots on X80 carbon steel in acidic solution, J. Mol. Liq., 339(2021), art. No. 117171.

[80] H.C. Zhao, T.Y. Sun, L.F. Huang, J.Y. Wei, and S.H. Qiu, A green strategy for nitrogen-doped polymer nanodots with high oxygen and chloride corrosion resistance in extremely acidic condition, Chem. Eng. J., 437(2022), art. No. 135242.

[81] Y.J. Qiang, S.T. Zhang, H.C. Zhao, B.C. Tan, and L.P. Wang, Enhanced anticorrosion performance of copper by novel N-doped carbon dots, Corros. Sci., 161(2019), art. No. 108193.

[82] Y.W. Ye, D.P. Yang, H. Chen, et al., A high-efficiency corrosion inhibitor of N-doped citric acid-based carbon dots for mild steel in hydrochloric acid environment, J. Hazard. Mater., 381(2020), art. No. 121019.

[83] Z.X. Liu, Y.W. Ye, and H. Chen, Corrosion inhibition behavior and mechanism of N-doped carbon dots for metal in acid environment, J. Clean. Prod., 270(2020), art. No. 122458.

[84] Cui MJ, Ren SM, Xue QJ, Zhao HC, Wang LP. Carbon dots as new eco-friendly and effective corrosion inhibitor. J. Alloys Compd., 2017, 726, 680.

[85] Pan LA, Li GX, Wang ZY, et al. Carbon dots as environment-friendly and efficient corrosion inhibitors for Q235 steel in 1 M HCl. Langmuir, 2021, 37(49): 14336.

[86] V. Saraswat and M. Yadav, Improved corrosion resistant performance of mild steel under acid environment by novel carbon dots as green corrosion inhibitor, Colloids Surf. A, 627(2021), art. No. 127172.

[87] Yang DP, Ye YW, Su Y, Liu S, Gong DR, Zhao HC. Functionalization of citric acid-based carbon dots by imidazole toward novel green corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel. J. Cleaner Prod., 2019, 229, 180.

[88] Ye YW, Yang DP, Chen H. A green and effective corrosion inhibitor of functionalized carbon dots. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2019, 35(10): 2243.

[89] Y.X. Zeng, L. Kang, Y. Wu, et al., Melamine modified carbon dots as high effective corrosion inhibitor for Q235 carbon steel in neutral 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, J. Mol. Liq., 349(2022), art. No. 118108.

[90] Y.W. Ye, Y.J. Zou, Z.L. Jiang, et al., An effective corrosion inhibitor of N doped carbon dots for Q235 steel in 1 M HCl solution, J. Alloys Compd., 815(2020), art. No. 152338.

[91] Ye YW, Jiang ZL, Zou YJ, et al. Evaluation of the inhibition behavior of carbon dots on carbon steel in HCl and NaCl solutions. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2020, 43, 144.

[92] Y.W. Ye, D.W. Zhang, Y.J. Zou, H.C. Zhao, and H. Chen, A feasible method to improve the protection ability of metal by functionalized carbon dots as environment-friendly corrosion inhibitor, J. Cleaner Prod., 264(2020), art. No. 121682.

[93] M.Y. Zhu, Z.Y. He, L. Guo, et al., Corrosion inhibition of eco-friendly nitrogen-doped carbon dots for carbon steel in acidic media: Performance and mechanism investigation, J. Mol. Liq., 342(2021), art. No. 117583.

[94] Zhu MY, Guo L, He ZY, Marzouki R, Zhang RH, Berdimurodov E. Insights into the newly synthesized N-doped carbon dots for Q235 steel corrosion retardation in acidizing media: A detailed multidimensional study. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2022, 608, 2039.

[95] Pan LA, Li GX, Wang ZY, et al. Nitrogen/sulfur co-doped carbon dots for enhancing anti-corrosion performance of Mg alloy in NaCl solution. ChemistrySelect, 2021, 6(41): 11337.

[96] Wan S, Chen HK, Liao BK, Guo XP. Adsorption and anticorrosion mechanism of glucose-based functionalized carbon dots for copper in neutral solution. J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 2021, 129, 289.

[97] Zhang Y, Zhang ST, Tan BC, Guo L, Li HT. Solvo-thermal synthesis of functionalized carbon dots from amino acid as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for copper in sulfuric acid solution. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2021, 604, 1.

[98] Y. Zhang, B.C. Tan, X. Zhang, L. Guo, and S.T. Zhang, Synthesized carbon dots with high N and S content as excellent corrosion inhibitors for copper in sulfuric acid solution, J. Mol. Liq., 338(2021), art. No. 116702.

[99] Xu QJ, Ge K, Zhang ST, Tan BC. Understanding the adsorption and inhibitive properties of nitrogen-doped carbon dots for copper in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 2021, 125, 23.

[100] Z. Liu, X. Hao, Y. Li, and X.H. Zhang, Novel Ce@N-CDs as green corrosion inhibitor for metal in acidic environment, J. Mol. Liq., 349(2022), art. No. 118155.

[101] Tabish M, Yasin G, Anjum MJ, et al. Reviewing the current status of layered double hydroxide-based smart nanocontainers for corrosion inhibiting applications. J. Mater. Res. Technol., 2021, 10, 390.

[102] C. Verma, A. Alfantazi, and M.A. Quraishi, Quantum dots as ecofriendly and aqueous phase substitutes of carbon family for traditional corrosion inhibitors: A perspective, J. Mol. Liq., 343(2021), art. No. 117648.

[103] Pourhashem S, Ghasemy E, Rashidi A, Vaezi MR. A review on application of carbon nanostructures as nanofiller in corrosion-resistant organic coatings. J. Coat. Technol. Res., 2020, 17(1): 19.

[104] Di L, Meng L, Qu SN. Research progress on nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots. Chin. Opt., 2020, 13, 899.

[105] Kalajahi ST, Rasekh B, Yazdian F, Neshati J, Taghavi L. Green mitigation of microbial corrosion by copper nanoparticles doped carbon quantum dots nanohybrid. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., 2020, 27(32): 40537.

[106] F. Anindita, N. Darmawan, and Z.A. Mas’ud, Fluorescence carbon dots from durian as an eco-friendly inhibitor for copper corrosion, [in] AIP Conference Proceedings, Geneva, 2018, p. 020008.

[107] Luo JX, Cheng X, Chen XH, et al. S ratios in N, S co-doped carbon dot inhibitor on metal protection in 1 M HCl solution. J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng., 2021, 127, 387.

[108] S.Y. Cao, D. Liu, T.X. Wang, et al., Nitrogen-doped carbon dots as high-effective inhibitors for carbon steel in acidic medium, Colloids Surf. A, 616(2021), art. No. 126280.

[109] Cui MJ, Li X. Nitrogen and sulfur Co-doped carbon dots as ecofriendly and effective corrosion inhibitors for Q235 carbon steel in 1 M HCl solution. RSC Adv., 2021, 11(35): 21607.

[110] Ye YW, Chen H, Zou YJ, Zhao HC. Study on self-healing and corrosion resistance behaviors of functionalized carbon dot-intercalated graphene-based waterborne epoxy coating. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2021, 67, 226.

[111] Saraswat V, Yadav M. Carbon dots as green corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl solution. ChemistrySelect, 2020, 5(25): 7347.

[112] Xu XK, Li YD, Hu GQ, et al. Surface functional carbon dots: Chemical engineering applications beyond optical properties. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020, 8(46): 16282.

[113] L.W. Ma, J.K. Wang, Y.J. Wang, et al., Enhanced active corrosion protection coatings for aluminum alloys with two corrosion inhibitors co-incorporated in nanocontainers, Corros. Sci., 208(2022), art. No. 110663.

[114] Wang JK, Hang Y, Ma LW, Guo X, Wu SH, Ren CH, Zhang DW. Corrosion-sensing and self-healing dualfunction coating based on 1,10-phenanthroline loaded urea formaldehyde microcapsules for carbon steel protection. Colloids Surf. A, 2022, 652, 129855.

[115] B. Ali Al Jahdaly, M.F. Elsadek, B.M. Ahmed, M.F. Farahat, M.M. Taher, and A.M. Khalil, Outstanding graphene quantum dots from carbon source for biomedical and corrosion inhibition applications: A review, Sustainability, 13(2021), No. 4, art. No. 2127.

[116] Z. Chen, M. Wang, A.A. Fadhil, et al., Preparation, characterization, and corrosion inhibition performance of graphene oxide quantum dots for Q235 steel in 1 M hydrochloric acid solution, Colloids Surf. A, 627(2021), art. No. 127209.

[117] Wang YB, Chang Q, Hu SL. Carbon dots with concentration-tunable multicolored photoluminescence for simultaneous detection of Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions. Sens. Actuators B, 2017, 253, 928.

[118] Han ZX, Wang K, Du FL, Yin ZM, Xie Z, Zhou SY. High efficiency red emission carbon dots based on phenylene diisocyanate for trichromatic white and red LEDs. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2018, 6(36): 9631.

[119] Tao YF, Lin J, Wang DY, Wang YH. Na⁺-functionalized carbon dots with aggregation-induced and enhanced cyan emission. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2021, 588, 469.

[120] V. Saraswat, R. Kumari, and M. Yadav, Novel carbon dots as efficient green corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl solution: Electrochemical, gravimetric and XPS studies, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 160(2022), art. No. 110341.

[121] Khatoon H, Iqbal S, Ahmad S. Influence of carbon nanodots encapsulated polycarbazole hybrid on the corrosion inhibition performance of polyurethane nanocomposite coatings. New J. Chem., 2019, 43(26): 10278.

[122] Bao Y, Yan Y, Wei YM, Ma JZ, Zhang WB, Liu C. Salt-responsive ZnO microcapsules loaded with nitrogen-doped carbon dots for enhancement of corrosion durability. J. Mater. Sci., 2021, 56(8): 5143.

[123] J.H. Ding, H.R. Zhao, and H.B. Yu, Structure and performance insights in carbon dots-functionalized MXene-epoxy ultrathin anticorrosion coatings, Chem. Eng. J., 430(2022), art. No. 132838.

[124] Gao JA, Wu MX, Dai DH, et al. N-doped carbon dots covalently functionalized with pillar[5]arenes for Fe³⁺ sensing. Beilstein J. Org. Chem., 2019, 15, 1262.

[125] Liu LJ, Qin KH, Yin SA, et al. Bifunctional carbon dots derived from an anaerobic bacterium of Porphyromonas gingivalis for selective detection of Fe ³+ and bioimaging. Photochem. Photobiol., 2021, 97(3): 574.

[126] Zhu AW, Qu Q, Shao XL, Kong B, Tian Y. Carbon-dot-based dual-emission nanohybrid produces a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for in vivo imaging of cellular copper ions. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed Engl., 2012, 51(29): 7185.

[127] D. Xu, Q.L. Lin, and H. Chang, Recent advances and sensing applications of carbon dots, Small Methods, 4(2020), No. 4, art. No. 1900387.

[128] Woo J, Song Y, Ahn J, Kim H. Green one-pot preparation of carbon dots (CD)-embedded cellulose transparent film for Fe³+ indicator using ionic liquid. Cellulose, 2020, 27(8): 4609.

[129] Zhang Y, Xiao YT, Zhang YJ, Wang YT. Carbon quantum dots as fluorescence turn-off-on probe for detecting Fe³⁺ and ascorbic acid. J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 2020, 20(6): 3340.

[130] Zhang YH, Qin HX, Huang YT, et al. Highly fluorescent nitrogen and boron doped carbon quantum dots for selective and sensitive detection of Fe³⁺. J. Mater. Chem. B, 2021, 9(23): 4654.

[131] Q.L. Wen, Z.F. Pu, Y.J. Yang, et al., Hyaluronic acid as a material for the synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots and its application for selective detection of Fe³⁺ ion and folic acid, Microchem. J., 159(2020), art. No. 105364.

[132] Q.X. An, Q.L. Lin, X.H. Huang, et al., Electrochemical synthesis of carbon dots with a Stokes shift of 309 nm for sensing of Fe³+ and ascorbic acid, Dyes Pigm., 185(2021), art. No. 108878.

[133] Z. Liu, R.N. Jia, Y. Jian, et al., N-doped carbon dots as a multifunctional platform for real-time corrosion monitoring and inhibition, Colloids Surf. A, 650(2022), art. No. 129499.

[134] S.H. Wu, J.K. Wang, T. Liu, X. Guo, and L.W. Ma, Sulfosalicylic acid modified carbon dots as effective corrosion inhibitor and fluorescent corrosion indicator for carbon steel in HCl solution, Colloids Surf. A, 661(2023), art. No. 130951.

[135] Liu Z, Jia RN, Chen F, et al. Electrochemical process of early-stage corrosion detection based on N-doped carbon dots with superior Fe³⁺ responsiveness. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2022, 606, 567.

[136] Fang LY, Xu Q, Zheng X, et al. Soy flour-derived carbon dots: Facile preparation, fluorescence enhancement, and sensitive Fe³⁺ detection. J. Nanopart. Res., 2016, 18(8): 224.

[137] Y.Z. Fu, S.J. Zhao, S.L. Wu, et al., A carbon dots-based fluorescent probe for turn-on sensing of ampicillin, Dyes Pigm., 172(2020), art. No. 107846.

[138] Li JB, Lv J, Fu LP, Tang MJ, Wu XD. New ecofriendly nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots as effective corrosion inhibitor for saturated CO₂ 3% NaCl solution. Russ. J. Appl. Chem., 2020, 93(3): 380.

[139] Z.Y. Zhang, X.Y. Chen, and J.L. Wang, Bright blue emissions N-doped carbon dots from a single precursor and their application in the trace detection of Fe³⁺ and F⁻, Inorg. Chim. Acta, 515(2021), art. No. 120087.

[140] Kagit R, Yildirim M, Ozay O, Yesilot S, Ozay H. Phosphazene based multicentered naked-eye fluorescent sensor with high selectivity for Fe³⁺ ions. Inorg. Chem., 2014, 53(4): 2144.

[141] Hu Y, Zhao F, Hu SL, Dong YY, Li DZ, Su ZH. A novel turn-on colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for Fe³⁺ and its application in living cells. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A, 2017, 332, 351.

[142] J.J. Wang, T. Wei, F. Ma, T.D. Li, and Q.F. Niu, A novel fluorescent and colorimetric dual-channel sensor for the fast, reversible and simultaneous detection of Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ based on terthiophene derivative with high sensitivity and selectivity, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A, 383(2019), art. No. 111982.

[143] Yao QF, Lü BZ, Ji CD, Cai Y, Yin MZ. Supramolecular host-guest system as ratiometric Fe³+ ion sensor based on water-soluble pillar[5]arene. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2017, 9(41): 36320.

[144] Zheng K, Lou KL, Zeng CH, Li SS, Nie ZW, Zhong SL. Hybrid membrane of agarose and lanthanide coordination polymer: A selective and sensitive Fe³⁺ sensor. Photochem. Photobiol., 2015, 91(4): 814.

[145] Z.Z. Nan, C.C. Hao, X.G. Zhang, H.Y. Liu, and R.G. Sun, Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) modified ZnO/CdS nanoparticles based fluorescence sensor for highly selective and sensitive detection of Fe(III), Spectrochim. Acta Part A, 228(2020), art. No. 117717.

[146] Yu J, Xu CX, Tian ZS, Lin Y, Shi ZL. Facilely synthesized N-doped carbon quantum dots with high fluorescent yield for sensing Fe³⁺. New J. Chem., 2016, 40(3): 2083.

[147] Liu ML, Xu YH, Niu FS, Gooding JJ, Liu JQ. Carbon quantum dots directly generated from electrochemical oxidation of graphite electrodes in alkaline alcohols and the applications for specific ferric ion detection and cell imaging. Analyst, 2016, 141(9): 2657.

[148] Song Y, Zhu CZ, Song JH, Li H, Du D, Lin YH. Drug-derived bright and color-tunable N-doped carbon dots for cell imaging and sensitive detection of Fe³⁺ in living cells. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2017, 9(8): 7399.

[149] Liu SQ, Liu RL, Xing X, Yang CQ, Xu Y, Wu DQ. Highly photoluminescent nitrogen-rich carbon dots from melamine and citric acid for the selective detection of iron(III) ion. RSC Adv., 2016, 6(38): 31884.

[150] Qiu L, Zhu CC, Chen HC, Hu M, He WJ, Guo ZJ. A turn-on fluorescent Fe³⁺ sensor derived from an anthracene-bearing bisdiene macrocycle and its intracellular imaging application. Chem. Commun., 2014, 50(35): 4631.

[151] Ma TT, Zhao X, Matsuo Y, et al. Fluorescein-based fluorescent porous aromatic framework for Fe³⁺ detection with high sensitivity. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, 7(8): 2327.

[152] Liu SR, Wu SP. New water-soluble highly selective fluorescent chemosensor for Fe (III) ions and its application to living cell imaging. Sens. Actuators B, 2012, 171–172, 1110.

[153] Zheng LB, Qi P, Zhang D. Identification of bacteria by a fluorescence sensor array based on three kinds of receptors functionalized carbon dots. Sens. Actuators B, 2019, 286, 206.

[154] De B, Karak N. A green and facile approach for the synthesis of water soluble fluorescent carbon dots from banana juice. RSC Adv., 2013, 3(22): 8286.

[155] Wu ZL, Gao MX, Wang TT, Wan XY, Zheng LL, Huang CZ. A general quantitative pH sensor developed with dicyandiamide N-doped high quantum yield graphene quantum dots. Nanoscale, 2014, 6(7): 3868.

[156] Barati A, Shamsipur M, Abdollahi H. Carbon dots with strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards pH. Application as nanosensors for a broad range of pH. Anal. Chim. Acta, 2016, 931, 25.

[157] F.K. Du, J.S. Xu, F. Zeng, and S.Z. Wu, Preparation of a multifunctional nano-carrier system based on carbon dots with pH-triggered drug release, Acta Chim. Sinica, 74(2016), No. 3, art. No. 241.

[158] Liu C, Yang ML, Hu J, et al. Quantitatively switchable pH-sensitive photoluminescence of carbon nanodots. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2021, 12(11): 2727.

[159] L. Li, L.H. Shi, J. Jia, et al., Red fluorescent carbon dots for tetracycline antibiotics and pH discrimination from aggregation-induced emission mechanism, Sens. Actuators B, 332(2021), art. No. 129513.

[160] Zhang XQ, Chen CY, Peng DP, et al. pH-Responsive carbon dots with red emission for real-time and visual detection of amines. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2020, 8(33): 11563.