High-performance fluorescent composites are key to the development and improvement of fluorescent molecular probe technology. In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with high carboxyl concentrations were prepared via sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation. Then, fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals (FCNC) were prepared by attaching 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC) onto CNC under 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMTMM) catalysis. The morphology and fluorescence properties of FCNC were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, elemental analysis, ultraviolet-visible absorbance, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that AMC was grafted onto the CNC surface by an amidation reaction, and the absorption and emission maxima for FCNC were blue-shifted from 350 nm and 445 nm of AMC to 335 nm and 440 nm, respectively. FCNC retained the crystallinity and nano-topography size of the CNC. The fluorescence intensity, quantum yield, and fluorescence lifetime of FCNC showed the same change law; it first increased and then decreased with an increase in the graft density of AMC from 0.201 to 0.453 AMC molecules per nm2. The FCNC prepared in this study have good optical properties and can be used in the fields of fluorescent molecular probes and biological imaging.
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