ABSTRACT
About two decades ago, a new carbon-based nanomaterial named carbon dots (CDs) was discovered, and since then, these nanomaterials have gained wide attention in different fields of research owing to their amazing properties and advantages. These amazing properties and advantages include their high fluorescence quantum yield, photoluminescence property, high specific surface area, chemical inertness, thermal stability, low cost, facile preparation, high water solubility, eco-friendliness, ease of modification, non-flammability and excellent biocompatibility. In recent years, research experts in material science and engineering have extended the frontier of corrosion protection by adopting quantum dots as nanofillers to strengthen the corrosion resistance of metals due to their identified unique characteristics. This chapter provides a brief introduction to corrosion and anticorrosive coatings coupled with basic information on the synthesis, characterisation, properties and versatile applications of CDs. The research outcomes and highlights of CDs employed as nanofillers in the development of anticorrosive coatings for different metal substrates are summarised.
