Carbon Nanodots Derived from Natural Products

This review highlights recent improvements, and present situations concerning the practical application of, natural productsbased carbon nanodots (CNDs) in nanomedicine, sensors, drug delivery, bio-imaging, solar cells, photocatalysis and nanoencapsulation. CNDs are zero-dimensional carbonaceous nanomaterials that have recently drawn much attention because of their unique physicochemical properties, such as excellent biocompatibility and tunable photoluminescence, easy functionalization, solubility in water, dispersibility, and low toxicity. Additionally, they are environmentally friendly, abundant, easily accessible, and rich in multiple elements. Since CNDs derived from organic products have unique properties, we explored and found that the properties of CNDs may depend on the preparation method and the used precursors. This study also informs on the positioning of natural products in nanotechnology.