Single-Particle Fluorescence Intensity Fluctuations
of Carbon Nanodots
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Abstract
Fluorescent
carbon nanodots (CNDs) were synthesized in oxidized
and reduced forms and were analyzed at the single-particle level.
Images of single CNDs at different excitation energies revealed significant
heterogeneity in the lower energy trap sites between particles. We
observed that a high percentage of reduced CND particles transitioned
between multiple fluorescence intensity levels indicative of multichromophoric
systems. Despite this behavior, individual CNDs exhibit single-step
photobleaching and transient blinking to the background level suggesting
single-molecule behavior