Eco-friendly modification of a regenerated cellulose based film by silicon, carbon and N-doped carbon quantum dots

Modification of a regenerated cellulose thin film by inclusion of different non-toxic nanodots (silicon-dots (SiDs), carbon-dots (CDs)) or nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs)) by aqueous nanodots solution immersion was performed. Nanodots presence into the cellulosic structure was evidenced by confocal microscopy images at different depth and changes in film mechanical, electrical and optical parameters. Our results reveal that the inclusion of the different nanodots in the cellulosic support increases, indifferent percentages, the mechanical resistance and electrical conductivity of modified films, but they hardly affect light transmittance. Particularly, modification with N-CDs largely favored film conductivity due to the presence of the higher number of charged functional groups (CNH₂ and OCNH₂) groups) on N-CDs surface, allowin gus the attainment of a flexible, fluorescent and transparent high conductive eco-friendly film. In fact, the non-toxic character of both support-film and nanodots, endorses the use of these new nano-engineering films in biomedical applications.