Manuscript-C-dots assembly at interface-041020.pdf

We describe a systematic investigation of carbon dots (C-dots) assemblies fabricated at the liquid/air interface because of the surface tension gradient. This gradient is originally created by capillary action and increased by addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) phospholipid to the surface of C-dots aqueous mixture. The arrangement of carbon dots in liquid bulk phase (before self-assembly) and at the surface region (after self-assembly) was examined by TEM microscopy. The presence of SDS surfactant and POPC phospholipid at the air/water interface induced the C-dots compression. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation was conducted to obtain the structure of C-dots at liquid/vapor interface. The orientation of C-dots is evaluated quantitatively at water/vapor surface by using bivariate analysis.