A review on plasma-assisted catalytic carbon dots materials

Catalytic technology is a core supporting element in fields such as energy conversion and environmental protection. Developing efficient and green catalytic systems is currently a key research focus. Carbon dots, as emerging carbon-based nanomaterials, have become significant materials in the field of catalysis due to their tunable structures and abundant active sites. Meanwhile, plasma technology enables the green synthesis of materials, performance modification, and efficient activation of reaction substrates. The combination of these two offers a new pathway for innovation in catalytic systems. This paper systematically reviews the preparation, structural regulation, and applications of catalytic carbon dots in environmental protection, energy conversion, and biocatalysis. It elaborates on research advances in plasma technology regarding the green synthesis, performance tuning, and composite modification of carbon dots. Furthermore, it analyzes the construction of ternary synergistic systems integrating plasma, carbon dots, and catalytic materials, highlighting their breakthrough performances in electrocatalytic energy conversion and biomedical catalysis. Finally, the review summarizes current challenges in this field and outlines future research directions, providing a reference for the subsequent development and industrial application of plasma-enhanced catalytic carbon dots.