Water triggered luminescent "nano-bombs" based on supra-carbon-nanodots

Developing smart luminescent materials is desirable for different fluorescence imaging applications. Here, we report a new luminescent material called luminescent "nano-bombs" based on supra-carbon-nanodots, whose luminescence depends strongly on water contact. That kind of "nano-bombs" show weak emission in toluene and decompose when meeting water, resulting in strong photoluminescence. With these "nano-bombs" we demonstrate water-jet printing luminescence patterns and mapping human sweat pore patterns in the supra-carbon-nanodots-coated paper. While by now most of smart luminescent materials suffer, more or less, low photostability, potential biotoxicity, high cost or poor compatibility with traditional inkjet printing technology, such a carbon-based nanomaterial without(or with much less) those deficiencies may find practical applications in optical information storage, forensic and healthcare.