Silanized carbon quantum dots assembled porous glass and its luminescent properties

•Si CQDs with porous glass were successfully assembled by solution ultrasonic method for the first time.•Compared with Si CQDs, the best emission intensity of composite is significantly improved.•The dispersion effect greatly inhibits the decrease of luminescence intensity caused by the aggregation of Si CQDs, leading to stronger blue emission.•Taken tests verified the Si CQDs/NPG composite with persistent water-resistance, excellent anti-ultraviolet properties and luminescence stability, which provides a basis for its application in agricultural light-conversion films. In this paper, the silanized carbon quantum dots (Si CQDs) were assembled into nano-porous glass (NPG) by solution ultrasonic method. The morphology, structure, elementary composition, luminescence properties, water-resistance and anti-ultraviolet properties were systematically studied. Concentration quenching occurs when the Si CQDs doping content exceeds 7.73 mg/g. It is found that nano-porous glass matrix can effectively disperse and protect the Si CQDs, which realizes the luminescence of Si CQDs in solid state and enhances the fluorescence emission intensity of Si CQDs. In addition, the spatial confinement effect of nano-channels in Si CQDs/NPG composites makes it obtain excellent water-resistance. At the same time, the composites show better photo-stability under continuous UV irradiation. The above results provide a basis for its application in agricultural light conversion films. [Display omitted]