作为以碳为骨架结构的新型纳米材料，碳点具有许多优良的性能，如发射波长可调、良好的光稳定性、抗光漂白、良好的水溶性以及易于生物偶联等. 正是因为这些优点，碳点和其它碳质纳米材料（富勒烯、碳纳米管、石墨烯）一样受到了广泛的关注. 电化学方法制备碳点具有条件温和、费用低廉、后处理简单等特点. 另外，电化学方法在材料的表面结构分析以及发光机理的研究中也有其独特的优势. 本文即就电化学方法在荧光碳点的制备以及发光机理探讨中的应用作了综述，并简略介绍了碳点在传感器中的应用，提出了优化电化学方法制备碳点的某些设想. ; Carbon nanodots are a new class of fluorescent nanoparticles with a carbon-based core, which possess wavelength-tunable luminescence, high photostability, resistance to photobleaching, water-solubility, and ease of bioconjugation. Owing to their attractive merits, carbon nanodots like other carbon nanomaterials such as fullerene, carbon nanotubes and graphene, have attracted much attention. In addition, carbon nanodots can be inexpensively produced by electrochemical methods with simple post-processing under mild conditions. Electrochemical approaches have unique advantages in the analysis of surface structures and luminescence mechanism of materials. In this review, recent advances in electrochemical methods used for the synthesis and luminescence mechanism of fluorescent carbon nanodots were summarized. The possible applications of carbon nanodots in biosensing are also included. ; 武汉东湖新技术开发区“3551人才计划”（[2011]137） ; 作者联系地址：武汉大学 化学与分子科学学院，教育部生物医学分析化学重点实验室，武汉生物技术研究院，湖北 武汉 430072 ; Author's Address: College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine Ministry of Education, and Wuhan Institute of Biotechnology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China ; 通讯作者E-mail：dwpang@whu.edu.cn