Project Grant 2418540

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry Project Grant, awarded under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, will provide $250,000 in funding to Emmanuel College to investigate the fluorescence mechanisms of carbon dots. Professor Duchimaza Heredia and his computational chemistry research group will use advanced computer simulation techniques, including density functional theory and tight-binding methods, to determine the underlying electronic structure responsible for the multicolor fluorescence properties of these nanomaterials. The project aims to overcome experimental challenges and establish partnerships with other computational chemists to train undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in this graduate-level research environment. The findings may advance the understanding of carbon dot fluorescence and support their applications in drug delivery, biosensing, and imaging.