Carbon Nanodots in Beer and Cola: An Interesting Way to Introduce Nanomaterials and Their Applications

Abstract

This article describes a simple way to introduce nanomaterials using the presence of carbon nanodots (CNDs) in widely available food. Budweiser® beer and Coca-Cola®, commercial foods that are commonly accessible, were utilized to demonstrate the optical property of nanoparticles. Specifically, green and violet laser pointers were employed for the observation of excitation-dependent photoluminescence of CNDs. To represent the application of CNDs, we obtained multiple-color emissions in onion cells that were imaged by using Budweiser beer and Coca-Cola as a dye. The demonstration could offer a perspective on the use of food in teaching nanomaterials at the high school and undergraduate levels.