Carbon and Graphene Quantum Dots for Optoelectronic and Energy Devices: A Review

As new members of carbon material family, carbon and graphene quantum dots (CDs, GQDs) have attracted tremendous attentions for their potentials for biological, optoelectronic, and energy related applications. Among these applications, bio‐imaging has been intensively studied, but optoelectronic and energy devices are rapidly rising. In this Feature Article, recent exciting progresses on CD‐ and GQD‐based optoelectronic and energy devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), solar cells (SCs), photodetctors (PDs), photocatalysis, batteries, and supercapacitors are highlighted. The recent understanding on their microstructure and optical properties are briefly introduced in the first part. Some important progresses on optoelectronic and energy devices are then addressed as the main part of this Feature Article. Finally, a brief outlook is given, pointing out that CDs and GQDs could play more important roles in communication‐ and energy‐functional devices in the near future. Carbon dots and graphene quantum dots have been investigated for several years and researchers' interest is moving from photoluminescence towards device applications. In this Feature Article, applications in optoelectronic and energy devices of carbon dots and graphene quantum dots are summarized, as well as their optical properties. Future directions, challenges, and other possible applications are also put forward.