Chapter 1: Introduction to Photoluminescent Carbon Dots

Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted much attention due to their significant advantages, such as low toxicity, high chemical stability and unique photophysical properties. In this chapter, we briefly describe the importance and merits of CDs and provide a comprehensive summary of the structure and classification of CDs. Subsequently, we focus on the synthesis strategy and optical properties of CDs. Lastly, we discuss the effect of CDs on plant growth. These descriptions will provide readers who have a background in chemistry with the basic knowledge and concepts of this topic.