Although carbon quantum dot (CQDs) films exhibit excellent optical, mechanical, and water resistance properties, they have received less attention in terms of thermal stability. Attention to the thermal decomposition behavior is of significant importance to the heat treatment process. Different models were used to calculate the pyrolysis kinetic parameters of the films, including the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, the modified Coats-Redfern method, the Kissinger method, the Friedman method, and the Gaussian fitting method. The results showed that half of the mass loss of the film occurred at 300 °C, and 80% of the mass loss occurred in the next 200 °C. The apparent activation energy of the films ranged between 110 and 150 kJ/mol. The addition of CQDs and nanocellulose did not improve the apparent activation energy of the films, but it slowed down the rate of mass loss of the films. The thermal decomposition behavior is useful to understand the properties of the films during the blending, heat treatment and to guide the processes such as heat treatment.
Xu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.