Shine on you crazy carbon! Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) are synthesized using a simple custom atmospheric pressure microplasma. The N-CQDs show interesting quantum confined optical properties that depend on the amount of nitrogen incorporation. The N-CQDs are incorporated into a photovoltaic device as the photoactive layer achieving an extraordinary open-circuit voltage of 1.8 V and a power conversion efficiency of 0.8% (champion device), amongst the highest reported to date for group IV and carbon based quantum dots (Sustainable Energy Fuels 1, 2017, 1611).