Preparation of Biomass-Based Carbon Dots with Aggregation Luminescence Enhancement from Hydrogenated Rosin for Biological Imaging and Detection of Fe(3+)

[Image: see text] Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have numerous important applications, but enhancing the fluorescence emission and overcoming fluorescence quenching are still big challenges. Here, fluorescence-enhanced carbon dots (named hr-CDs) were prepared from sustainable hydrogenated rosin, using a simple hydrothermal method in a water solvent. The hr-CDs were mainly composed of graphitized carbon cores with surface functional groups. With the increase in the concentration to hr-CDs aqueous solutions, the distance between the carbon cores decreased, which resulted in the formation of J aggregates and the enhanced blue fluorescence emission. Even in the solid state, the hr-CDs show fluorescence emission because the surface functional groups could prevent π–π stacking interactions between the carbon cores. The hr-CDs show excellent resistance to photobleaching under intense ultraviolet light (200 mW/cm(2)). Vibrations and rotations of graphitized carbon core are restricted by low temperature and high viscosity, leading to increased radiative transition and thus increase in fluorescence intensity. The pH value in the range of 3.99–9.87 and anions have little effect on the fluorescence emission of hr-CDs. The fluorescence emission of the hr-CDs was selectively quenched by Fe(3+) and can thus be used to detect Fe(3+). The hr-CDs also have good biocompatibility and show the same ability in cell nuclear staining as 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI).