Functional surface engineering of C-dots for fluorescent biosensing and in vivo bioimaging

A facile, green, and solvent-free route to nitrogen–sulfur-codoped fluorescent carbon nanoparticles for cellular imaging

A simple, solvent-free method was developed for preparation of fluorescent NSCPs by direct pyrolysis of gentamycin sulfate. The NSCPs showed high water-solubility, long lifetime, high quantum yield, excellent stability and low cytotoxicity, and thus can be used for cellular imaging.

Quinoline derivative-functionalized carbon dots as a fluorescent nanosensor for sensing and intracellular imaging of Zn2+

Functionalization of carbon nanodots (C-dots) with quinoline derivatives enables a highly sensitive and specific nanosensor for Zn²⁺ sensing in aqueous solution and Zn²⁺ imaging in vivo.

A dual amplification strategy for ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay based on a Pt nanoparticles dotted graphene–carbon nanotubes composite and carbon dots functionalized mesoporous Pt/Fe

A facile and sensitive ECL immunosensor has been designed using Pt/Gr–CNTs as a platform and Pt/Fe@CDs as bionanolabels.

Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles in medicine for cancer therapy

Nanotechnology provides exciting opportunities for the development of novel, clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic multifunctional systems. Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) due to their intrinsic fluorescence and high biocompatibility are among the best candidates. As innovative nanomaterials, CNPs could be utilized both as nontoxic drug delivery system and bioimaging. We foresee a great future for CNPs in cancer diagnostic and therapy.

A new hydrothermal refluxing route to strong fluorescent carbon dots and its application as fluorescent imaging agent

Due to their unique optical and biochemical properties, the water-soluble fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have attracted a lot of attention recently. Here, strong fluorescent carbon dots with excellent quality have been synthesized by the hydrothermal refluxing method using lactose as carbon source and tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (i.e. Tris) as surface passivation reagent. This facile approach was simple, efficient, economical, green without pollution, and allows large-scale production of CDs without any post-treatment. TEM measurements showed that the resulting particles exhibited an average diameter of 1.5 nm. The obtained CDs possess small particle sizes, good stability in a wide range of pH values (pH 3.5-9.5), high tolerance of salt concentration, strong resistibility to photobleaching, and a fluorescent quantum yield up to 12.5%. The CDs were applied to optical bioimaging of HeLa cells, showing low cytotoxicity and excellent biocompatibility.