Chiral carbon dots derived from guanosine 5'-monophosphate form supramolecular hydrogels.

Guanosine 5'-monophosphate, (5'-GMP), is a self-assembling natural nucleotide that has unique potential to form ordered supramolecular structures. We herein describe an intriguing property of Na2(5'-GMP) to form blue emitting chiral carbon dots (G-dots) that exhibit excitation dependent down-conversion and up-conversion fluorescence signature and self-assemble to form fluorescent hydrogels.