Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence in aqueous solution enabled by microscale rigid framework engineering of carbon nanodots

Yachuan Liang; Haochun Shao; Kaikai Liu; Qing Cao; Sifan Zhang; Haiyan Wang; Liying Jiang; Chongxin Shan; Leman Kuang; Hui Jing

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01965-0

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Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence in aqueous solution enabled by microscale rigid framework engineering of carbon nanodots

Original Articles

- Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence in aqueous solution enabled by microscale rigid framework engineering of carbon nanodots
- Light: Science & Applications Vol. 14, Issue 11, Pages: 3441-3453(2025)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.School of Electronics and Information, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 450002 Zhengzhou, China
  2.Academy for Quantum Science and Technology, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 450002 Zhengzhou, China
  3.Henan Key Laboratory of Diamond Optoelectronic Material and Devices, School of Physics and Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, Zhengzhou University, 450001 Zhengzhou, China
  4.College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 450002 Zhengzhou, China
  5.Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control of Ministry of Education, Department of Physics and Synergetic Innovation Center for Quantum Effects and Applications, Hunan Normal University, 410081 Changsha, China
- Author bio：
  
  Kaikai Liu (liukaikai@zzu.edu.cn)
  Liying Jiang (jiangliying@zzuli.edu.cn)
  Hui Jing (jinghui@hunnu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01965-0
  CLC：
- Received：01 April 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-07-10，
  
  Accepted：14 July 2025，
  
  Published Online：11 September 2025，
  
  Published：30 November 2025
- Accepted：
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Liang, Y. C. et al. Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence in aqueous solution enabled by microscale rigid framework engineering of carbon nanodots. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3441-3453 (2025).
DOI：

Liang, Y. C. et al. Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescence in aqueous solution enabled by microscale rigid framework engineering of carbon nanodots. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3441-3453 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01965-0.

摘要

Abstract

Solid-state phosphorescent materials with stimulus-responsive properties have been widely developed for diverse applications. However

the task of generating excited states with long lifetimes in aqueous solution remains challenging due to the ultrafast deactivation of the triplet excitons and the difficulty in regulating stimulation sites in an aqueous environment. Additionally

most existing materials are primarily responsive to limited stimuli

such as light

oxygen

or temperature. Here

we present a microscale rigid framework engineering strategy that can be used to modulate the phosphorescence properties of carbon nanodots (CNDs)

by brightening triplet excitons through ultrasound-enhanced rigidity in CNDs. Ultrasound-responsive phosphorescent CNDs with a lifetime of 1.25 seconds in an aqueous solution were achieved. The CNDs exhibit high sensitivity to surrounding ultrasound

showing a linear response to ultrasound exposure during the treatment period. The ultrasound-responsive phosphorescent CNDs demonstrate potential applications as sensing units in ultrasound radar detection and in vivo afterglow imaging.

关键词

Keywords

references

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