Synthesis of Carbon Nanodots from Sugarcane Syrup, and Their Incorporation into a Hydrogel-Based Composite to Fabricate Innovative Fluorescent Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibers
Gabriel Perli,
Marco C. P. Soares,
Thiago D. Cabral,
Diego L. Bertuzzi,
Julio R. Bartoli,
Sébastien Livi,
Jannick Duchet-Rumeau,
Cristiano M. B. Cordeiro,
Eric Fujiwara,
Catia Ornelas
Affiliations
Gabriel Perli
Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
Marco C. P. Soares
Laboratory of Photonic Materials and Devices, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-860, Brazil
Thiago D. Cabral
“Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-859, Brazil
Diego L. Bertuzzi
Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
Julio R. Bartoli
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil
Sébastien Livi
Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5223, INSA Lyon, F69621 Villeurbanne, France
Jannick Duchet-Rumeau
Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères, Université de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5223, INSA Lyon, F69621 Villeurbanne, France
Cristiano M. B. Cordeiro
“Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-859, Brazil
Eric Fujiwara
Laboratory of Photonic Materials and Devices, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-860, Brazil
Catia Ornelas
Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
Carbon nanodots (CNDs) are interesting materials due to their intrinsic fluorescence, electron-transfer properties, and low toxicity. Here, we report a sustainable, cheap, and scalable methodology to obtain CNDs from sugarcane syrup using a domestic microwave oven. The CNDs were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, absorption, and emission spectroscopies. The CNDs have 3 nm in diameter with low polydispersity and are fluorescent. A fluorescent hydrogel–CNDs composite was obtained using gelatin polypeptide as the polymeric matrix. The new hydrogel–CNDs composite was incorporated in the cavities of a double-clad optical fiber using an innovative approach that resulted in a microstructured polymer optical fiber with intrinsic fluorescence. This work shows a promising alternative for the fabrication of fluorescent materials since the CNDs synthesis is sustainable and environmentally friendly. These CNDs might substitute the rare-earth and other heavy metals of high cost and toxicity, which are usually incorporated in double-clad fibers for applications on lasers, amplifiers, and spectroscopy.
