As a new class of promising fluorescent carbon nanomaterials, carbon dots (CDs) have been well developed in recent years for their excellent fluorescent properties, simple synthetic approaches, good biocompatibility and various detection applications, which can be expected to replace the tradition semi-quantum dots. This review aims presents the current progress in the development of CDs with an emphasis on fluorescent properties, synthetic approaches and applications in food safety. First, the fluorescent properties of CDs are briefly introduced. To seek more reasonable synthetic approaches, ...
