02701naa a2200349 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400440007410000160011824501310013426000090026552016620027465000110193665000250194765000240197265000220199665000120201865000190203065300270204965300230207665300280209965300160212765300260214365300250216970000190219470000170221370000140223070000140224470000170225877300760227521884172026-07-20       2026    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a0934-08667 ahttps://doi.org/10.1002/ppsc.701122DOI1 aMÜLLER, D.  aPrecursor‐driven photoluminescence modulation in microwave‐synthesized fruit‐derived carbon dots.h[electronic resource]  c2026  aCarbon dots synthesized from natural biomass precursors have attracted increasing attention due to their low cost, sustainability, and tunable optical properties. However, establishing robust descriptors linking precursor chemistry to photoluminescence behavior remains challenging in systems dominated by heterogeneous and surface‐related emissive states. In this work, C‐dots were synthesized via a microwave‐assisted route using three tropical fruit‐derived precursors (acerola, kiwi, and passion fruit), enabling a controlled comparison of precursor‐dependent optical responses. The resulting nanoparticles are quasi‐spherical, with no statistically significant differences in size (with average diameters around 5 nm) or morphology, and lattice spacings around 2.43 Å consistent with turbostratic sp carbon domains. UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra exhibit broad bands with extended visible tails, while excitation‐dependent emission spans 420–650 nm. Quantitative spectral descriptors reveal clear precursor‐dependent differences. Acerola‐derived C‐dots exhibit comparatively narrower emission bands (FWHM of around 110 nm, with a centroid–peak offset of approximately 25 nm), whereas passion fruit samples show broader emission (FWHM ∼150 nm; offset ∼55 nm), indicating a wider distribution of emissive states; kiwi‐derived samples display intermediate behavior. Complementary absorption metrics, including spectral centroid and A360/A450 ratio, follow similar trends. These descriptors establish a model‐independent framework linking precursor composition to optical heterogeneity in C‐dots.  aCarbon  aCarbon nanoparticles  aMicrowave treatment  aPhotoluminescence  aCarbono  aFruta Tropical  aDescritores espectrais  aFotoluminescência  aHeterogeneidade óptica  aNanocarbono  aOptical heterogeneity  aSpectral descriptors1 aDIAS, G. M. V.1 aGUIOTOKU, M.1 aBENDO, T.1 aHOTZA, D.1 aRAMBO, C. R.  tParticle & Particle Systems Characterizationgv. 43, n. 7, e70112,2026.