Fluorescent carbon nanoparticle hybrids: synthesis, properties and applications

The development of materials in nanoscale morphologies with novel compositions is one of the major focuses of nanoscience and technology, as these materials are imbibed with unique properties that make them suitable for specific applications in a large variety of fields. Combining two or more chemically distinct constituents into a single nanostructure helps to attain desirable attributes of physical and chemical responses that can be efficiently utilized for specific applications. Hybrid nanomaterials constituted as a combination of multiple components into single nanostructures are known to showcase the properties of the individual components in tandem or synergy. Novel functionalities are also known to arise from integrating Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (FCNPs) with other counterparts. FCNPs, when combined with other materials to form nanohybrids, provide copious functional attributes due to their inherent properties and the augmentation in properties due to the presence of the other materials. Integrating hybrid counterparts with FCNs improves the functional properties, which can be utilized for various applications such as photocatalysis, bioimaging, bio/chemo sensing, and many more. Herein we present an overview of recent and relevant works related to the synthesis, properties, and applications of fluorescent carbon nanoparticle (FCNP) hybrids. Various synthetic routes of FCNP hybrids via physical and chemical methods are summarized. The properties of the hybrid systems and the influence of hybridization on the properties are discussed. Applications of FCNP hybrids in various fields are also discussed in detail.