We report on the one-step synthesis of luminescent carbon nanodots (C-dots) via an electrical discharge between two graphite electrodes submerged into organic solvent (octane). This is a simple approach for the fabrication of C-dots with tunable photoluminescence (PL) that differs from the other preparation methods, as no post-passivation step is required. The synthesized carbon nanoparticles are of spherical shape and their size is distributed in the range of 2–5 nm and exhibit luminescence sensitive to excitation wavelength.

    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Synthesis of C-dots
        2.2 Modification of C-dots
        2.3 Characterization of C-dots
    3 Results and discussion
    4 Conclusion
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Alena Nevar(Plasma Physics Centre, Institute of Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus)
• Natalie Tarasenka(Plasma Physics Centre, Institute of Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus)
• Mikhail Nedelko(Plasma Physics Centre, Institute of Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus)
• Nikolai Tarasenko(Plasma Physics Centre, Institute of Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus)