Aqueous Conversion of Fructose Phosphate Precursor Nanoparticles into Emissive C‐Dot Composite Nanoparticles

Abstract A one‐pot, fully water‐based synthesis of blue‐ and red‐emitting C‐dots is presented. To this concern, [ZrO]²⁺[F6P]²⁻ and [Eu(OH)]²⁺[F6P]²⁻ precursor nanoparticles (F6P: D‐fructose‐6‐phosphate) are prepared in water and converted to C‐dot@[ZrO]²⁺[HPO₄]²⁻ and C‐dot@[Eu(OH)]²⁺[HPO₄]²⁻ composite nanoparticles in boiling water (100 °C) via microwave heating. Composition, structure, and fluorescence of the composite nanoparticles are validated by different analytical methods (e. g., FT‐IR, EA, TG, DLS, SEM, TEM, EDXS). The resulting aqueous suspensions are characterized by high colloidal stability and intense emission. Specifically, C‐dot@[Eu(OH)]²⁺[HPO₄]²⁻ exhibits Eu³⁺‐type red emission in water. The one‐pot water‐based synthesis with fructose‐containing precursor nanoparticles and the structure of the phosphate‐stabilized C‐dot composite nanoparticles are reported for the first time.