An excellent photoluminescence properties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) offers great potential in sensing applications. The remarkable optical properties are promptly accessible to be recorded as a potential sensing signal. This paper highlights the recent advances of CQDs application as the sensing materials in optical sensor technology. The modification of CQDs via physical and chemical approaches tremendously improves its physicochemical properties, producing an excellent sensing output. The interaction mechanism between CQDs and chemical analytes is analyzed through dipole-dipole interaction and charge transfer. Such interactions change their fluorescence properties, leading to the enhancement of fluorescence signals and improved the optical sensor performances. The incorporation of CQDs with numerous optical detection method further improve the optical sensor advancement. The application of CQDs as sensing materials in diverse optical sensing techniques is also discussed in this review. Finally, the current challenges of the present and the perspective for the forthcoming future are critically assessed in the concluding section.

碳量子点（CQD）的出色的光致发光特性为传感应用提供了巨大的潜力。显着的光学特性可立即被记录为电位感测信号。本文重点介绍了CQD在光学传感器技术中作为传感材料的最新进展。通过物理和化学方法对CQD进行修饰可以极大地改善其理化特性，从而产生出色的传感输出。通过偶极-偶极相互作用和电荷转移分析了CQD与化学分析物之间的相互作用机理。这种相互作用改变了它们的荧光特性，导致荧光增强 信号并改善了光学传感器性能。CQD与多种光学检测方法的结合进一步改善了光学传感器的发展。本文还讨论了CQD作为多种光学传感技术中的传感材料的应用。最后，结论部分对当前的当前挑战和对未来的展望进行了严格的评估。