Stabilizing alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) emulsions using fine particles instead of cationic starch have attracted much attention in recent years. Herein, starch nanocrystals (SNCs) made from maize starch by H2SO4 hydrolysis were used to co-stabilize ASA emulsions with fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) made hydrothermally from gelatin. The introduction of CDs can significantly enhance the stability and reduce the droplet size of SNC-stabilized ASA-in-water emulsions. Consequently, the sizing performance of the SNC-stabilized ASA emulsion is significantly improved by increasing the CD-to-SNC mass ratio. SNC and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions show much better sizing performance than starch and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions, achieving their best sizing performance at a CD-to-SNC mass ratio of 80%. Meanwhile, the morphology of SNC/starch and CD co-stabilized ASA emulsions can be traced under UV excitation. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.