Synthesis and characterization of fluorescent carbon dots obtained from citrus x sinensis by an eco-friendly method

• Eco-friendly method of synthesis of carbon-based fluorescent NPs using orange peel. • Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide quantum dots. • CDs structural characterization by FTIR, Uv–Vis, Raman, fluorescence spectroscopy. • CDs characterization by microscopy XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM. • CDs have potentially applied in all areas of engineering and technology. The synthesis and characterization of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) obtained by an environmentally friendly method through carbonization, fragmentation and centrifugation of orange peel ( citrus x sinensis ) are reported. By thermogravimetry, 4 degradation regions associated with hemicellulose, lignin and organic matter were found. The SEM micrograph shows a rough surface morphology with flakes and granulation due to the carbonization process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a hexagonal crystalline structure associated with graphitic carbon, which was confirmed by Raman scatterings, Raman spectroscopy that presented two main vibrational bands, D and G, associated with active defects in the graphitic carbon crystalline structure. The Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph showed CDs of size 33.65 ± 0.68n, and with High-Resolution TEM (HRTEM) an interplanar distance of 0.213 nm in the direction of the crystal planes (1 0 0) of graphitic carbon was obtained, which were confirmed by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the relative atomic composition and identified the strongest photoelectron transitions of carbon, sp 2 (286 eV) and sp 3 (285 eV), in graphitic carbon. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy of the CDs obtained from fragmentation graphitic carbon showed a band at 205 nm associated with C C bonds π-π* of C C and n-π*, as well as two bands at 276 and 328 nm associated with bond transitions. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed bands associated with CHs bonds as well as C C, C N bonds of the CDs. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed three emission bands at 2.43, 2.54 and 2.87 eV. The CDs showed the emission of the characteristic blue colour.