1
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Qureshi ZA, Dabash H, Ponnamma D, Abbas M. Carbon dots as versatile nanomaterials in sensing and imaging: Efficiency and beyond. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31634. [PMID: 38832274 PMCID: PMC11145243 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a versatile and promising carbon-based nanomaterial with exceptional optical properties, including tunable emission wavelengths, high quantum yield, and photostability. CDs are appropriate for various applications with many benefits, such as biocompatibility, low toxicity, and simplicity of surface modification. Thanks to their tunable optical properties and great sensitivity, CDs have been used in sensing as fluorescent probes for detecting pH, heavy metal ions, and other analytes. In addition, CDs have demonstrated potential as luminescence converters for white organic light-emitting diodes and light emitters in optoelectronic devices due to their superior optical qualities and exciton-independent emission. CDs have been used for drug administration and bioimaging in the biomedical field due to their biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and ease of functionalization. Additionally, due to their stability, efficient charge separation, and low recombination rate, CDs have shown interesting uses in energy systems, such as photocatalysis and energy conversion. This article highlights the growing possibilities and potential of CDs as adaptable nanomaterials in a variety of interdisciplinary areas related to sensing and imaging, at the same time addressing the major challenges involved in the current research and proposing scientific solutions to apply CDs in the development of a super smart society.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanan Dabash
- Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Deepalekshmi Ponnamma
- Materials Science and Technology Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - M.K.G. Abbas
- Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, 2713, Doha, Qatar
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2
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Chen Q, Xia X, Liang Z, Zuo T, Xu G, Wei F, Yang J, Hu Q, Zhao Z, Tang BZ, Cen Y. Self-Assembled DNA Nanospheres Driven by Carbon Dots for MicroRNAs Imaging in Tumor via Logic Circuit. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2310728. [PMID: 38229573 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
DNA nanostructures with diverse biological functions have made significant advancements in biomedical applications. However, a universal strategy for the efficient production of DNA nanostructures is still lacking. In this work, a facile and mild method is presented for self-assembling polyethylenimine-modified carbon dots (PEI-CDs) and DNA into nanospheres called CANs at room temperature. This makes CANs universally applicable to multiple biological applications involving various types of DNA. Due to the ultra-small size and strong cationic charge of PEI-CDs, CANs exhibit a dense structure with high loading capacity for encapsulated DNA while providing excellent stability by protecting DNA from enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, Mg2+ is incorporated into CANs to form Mg@CANs which enriches the performance of CANs and enables subsequent biological imaging applications by providing exogenous Mg2+. Especially, a DNAzyme logic gate system that contains AND and OR Mg@CANs is constructed and successfully delivered to tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. They can be specifically activated by endogenic human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 and recognize the expression levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-155 at tumor sites by logic biocomputing. A versatile pattern for delivery of diverse DNA and flexible logic circuits for multiple miRNAs imaging are developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiutong Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Zhigang Liang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Tongshan Zuo
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Guanhong Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Fangdi Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Qin Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- Clinical Translational Research Center of Aggregation-Induced Emission, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- Clinical Translational Research Center of Aggregation-Induced Emission, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, P. R. China
| | - Yao Cen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, P. R. China
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3
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Lamba R, Yukta Y, Mondal J, Kumar R, Pani B, Singh B. Carbon Dots: Synthesis, Characterizations, and Recent Advancements in Biomedical, Optoelectronics, Sensing, and Catalysis Applications. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:2086-2127. [PMID: 38512809 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Carbon nanodots (CNDs), a fascinating carbon-based nanomaterial (typical size 2-10 nm) owing to their superior optical properties, high biocompatibility, and cell penetrability, have tremendous applications in different interdisciplinary fields. Here, in this Review, we first explore the superiority of CNDs over other nanomaterials in the biomedical, optoelectronics, analytical sensing, and photocatalysis domains. Beginning with synthesis, characterization, and purification techniques, we even address fundamental questions surrounding CNDs such as emission origin and excitation-dependent behavior. Then we explore recent advancements in their applications, focusing on biological/biomedical uses like specific organelle bioimaging, drug/gene delivery, biosensing, and photothermal therapy. In optoelectronics, we cover CND-based solar cells, perovskite solar cells, and their role in LEDs and WLEDs. Analytical sensing applications include the detection of metals, hazardous chemicals, and proteins. In catalysis, we examine roles in photocatalysis, CO2 reduction, water splitting, stereospecific synthesis, and pollutant degradation. With this Review, we intend to further spark interest in CNDs and CND-based composites by highlighting their many benefits across a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Lamba
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175075, India
| | - Yukta Yukta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Jiban Mondal
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175075, India
| | - Ram Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
- Department of Chemistry, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110075, India
| | - Balaram Pani
- Department of Chemistry, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110075, India
| | - Bholey Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110036, India
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4
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Dolai J, Joshi P, Mondal PP, Maity A, Mukherjee B, Jana NR. Blinking Carbon Dots as a Super-resolution Imaging Probe. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:16003-16010. [PMID: 38512299 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c01609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) emerges as a powerful approach for super-resolution imaging that provides unprecedented resolution at the nanometer length scale. However, the development of appropriate probes with specific photophysical traits and characteristics is crucial for this approach. This study demonstrates two different fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) derived from the same molecular precursor─one emitting in red and the other in green─as a SMLM-based super-resolution imaging probe for different applications with an average localization precision of 20 nm and a resolution of 60 nm. Both the CDs exhibit spontaneous blinking with high photon count and low duty cycle but with different blinking cycles. The red emissive CDs with a lower blinking cycle are ideal for quantitative analysis, whereas green emissive CDs with a higher blinking cycle are ideal for high-resolution imaging. We show that the difference in blinking features is linked to their chemical compositions, and the presence of much denser trap states in red emitting CDs is responsible for the reduction of its blinking cycle. This study shows that CDs can be designed as a potential probe for SMLM-based super-resolution imaging for diverse bioimaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayanta Dolai
- School of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Prakash Joshi
- Mondal Lab, Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Partha Pratim Mondal
- Mondal Lab, Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
- Centre for Cryogenic Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Anupam Maity
- School of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Buddhadev Mukherjee
- School of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Nikhil R Jana
- School of Materials Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A & 2B Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
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5
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Zhu X, Chen Q, Zhao H, Yang Q, Goudappagouda, Gelléri M, Ritz S, Ng D, Koynov K, Parekh SH, Chetty VK, Thakur BK, Cremer C, Landfester K, Müllen K, Terenzio M, Bonn M, Narita A, Liu X. Intrinsic Burst-Blinking Nanographenes for Super-Resolution Bioimaging. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:5195-5203. [PMID: 38275287 PMCID: PMC10910517 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) is a powerful technique to achieve super-resolution imaging beyond the diffraction limit. Although various types of blinking fluorophores are currently considered for SMLM, intrinsic blinking fluorophores remain rare at the single-molecule level. Here, we report the synthesis of nanographene-based intrinsic burst-blinking fluorophores for highly versatile SMLM. We image amyloid fibrils in air and in various pH solutions without any additive and lysosome dynamics in live mammalian cells under physiological conditions. In addition, the single-molecule labeling of nascent proteins in primary sensory neurons was achieved with azide-functionalized nanographenes via click chemistry. SMLM imaging reveals higher local translation at axonal branching with unprecedented detail, while the size of translation foci remained similar throughout the entire network. These various results demonstrate the potential of nanographene-based fluorophores to drastically expand the applicability of super-resolution imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingfu Zhu
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Qiang Chen
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Hao Zhao
- Organic
and Carbon Nanomaterials Unit, Okinawa Institute
of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Qiqi Yang
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Goudappagouda
- Organic
and Carbon Nanomaterials Unit, Okinawa Institute
of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Márton Gelléri
- Institute
of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sandra Ritz
- Institute
of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - David Ng
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kaloian Koynov
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sapun H. Parekh
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Basant Kumar Thakur
- Department
of Pediatrics III, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Christoph Cremer
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Institute
of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Katharina Landfester
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Klaus Müllen
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Terenzio
- Molecular
Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of
Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Mischa Bonn
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Akimitsu Narita
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Organic
and Carbon Nanomaterials Unit, Okinawa Institute
of Science and Technology Graduate University, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Xiaomin Liu
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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6
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Szczepankowska J, Khachatryan G, Khachatryan K, Krystyjan M. Carbon Dots-Types, Obtaining and Application in Biotechnology and Food Technology. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14984. [PMID: 37834430 PMCID: PMC10573487 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Materials with a "nano" structure are increasingly used in medicine and biotechnology as drug delivery systems, bioimaging agents or biosensors in the monitoring of toxic substances, heavy metals and environmental variations. Furthermore, in the food industry, they have found applications as detectors of food adulteration, microbial contamination and even in packaging for monitoring product freshness. Carbon dots (CDs) as materials with broad as well as unprecedented possibilities could revolutionize the economy, if only their synthesis was based on low-cost natural sources. So far, a number of studies point to the positive possibilities of obtaining CDs from natural sources. This review describes the types of carbon dots and the most important methods of obtaining them. It also focuses on presenting the potential application of carbon dots in biotechnology and food technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Szczepankowska
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Gohar Khachatryan
- Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland; (G.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Karen Khachatryan
- Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland; (G.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Magdalena Krystyjan
- Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland; (G.K.); (K.K.)
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Jiang L, Cai H, Qin W, Li Z, Zhang L, Bi H. Meticulously Designed Carbon Dots as Photo-Triggered RNA-Destroyer for Evoking Pyroptosis. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1387-1397. [PMID: 37534892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
An ideal photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy should not only possess high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency but also maximize utilization of the in situ produced ROS species, where the latter is closely related to its intracellular location. However, rational design of such photosensitizer without tedious conjugation procedures remains a grand challenge. Here, we report the one-pot preparation of carbon dots (CDs)-based photosensitizer from levofloxacin and neutral red featuring both high 1O2 quantum yield (φΔ = 38.85%) and superior RNA selectivity. Moreover, the φΔ value shows a further 40% improvement and reaches 54.33% in response to RNA binding. Owing to these combined attributes, the CDs could exert great damage to the cellular RNA system (termed the RNA-destroyer) under extremely low dosage of light irradiation (15 mW cm-2, 1 min). It induces pyroptotic cell death and causes rapid release of different cytokines that served as molecular markers in photodynamic immunotherapy. This work represents the meticulously designed CDs with high ROS generation and utilization efficiency via good organization of the photosensitive and targeting modularity. Moreover, it is the first CDs-based pyroptosis inducer to the best of our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Hao Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Weixia Qin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Zijian Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Hong Bi
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
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8
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Kaurav H, Verma D, Bansal A, Kapoor DN, Sheth S. Progress in drug delivery and diagnostic applications of carbon dots: a systematic review. Front Chem 2023; 11:1227843. [PMID: 37521012 PMCID: PMC10375716 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1227843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs), which have particle size of less than 10 nm, are carbon-based nanomaterials that are used in a wide range of applications in the area of novel drug delivery in cancer, ocular diseases, infectious diseases, and brain disorders. CDs are biocompatible, eco-friendly, easy to synthesize, and less toxic with excellent chemical inertness, which makes them very good nanocarrier system to deliver multi-functional drugs effectively. A huge number of researchers worldwide are working on CDs-based drug delivery systems to evaluate their versatility and efficacy in the field of pharmaceuticals. As a result, there is a tremendous increase in our understanding of the physicochemical properties, diagnostic and drug delivery aspects of CDs, which consequently has led us to design and develop CDs-based theranostic system for the treatment of multiple disorders. In this review, we aim to summarize the advances in application of CDs as nanocarrier including gene delivery, vaccine delivery and antiviral delivery, that has been carried out in the last 5 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemlata Kaurav
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Dhriti Verma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Amit Bansal
- Formulation Research and Development, Perrigo Company Plc, Allegan, MI, United States
| | - Deepak N. Kapoor
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Sandeep Sheth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Larkin University, Miami, FL, United States
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Jiang L, Cai H, Zhou W, Li Z, Zhang L, Bi H. RNA-Targeting Carbon Dots for Live-Cell Imaging of Granule Dynamics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210776. [PMID: 36645339 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
It is significant to monitor the different RNA granules dynamics and phase separation process inside cells under various stresses, for example, oxidative stress. The current small-molecule RNA probes work well only in fixed cells and usually encounter problems such as insufficient stability and biocompatibility, and thus a specific RNA-targeting fluorescent nanoprobe that can be used in the living cells is urgently desired. Here, the de novo design and microwave-assisted synthesis of a novel RNA-targeting, red-emissive carbon dots (named as M-CDs) are reported by choosing neutral red and levofloxacin as precursors. The as-synthesized M-CDs is water-soluble with a high fluorescence quantum yield of 22.83% and can selectively bind to RNA resulting in an enhanced red fluorescence. More interestingly, such an RNA-targeting, red-emissive M-CDs can be fast internalized into cells within 5 s and thus used for real-time imaging the dynamic process of intracellular stress granules under oxidative stress, revealing some characteristics of granules that have not been identified by previously reported RNA and protein biomarkers. This research paves a new pathway for visualizing bulk RNA dynamics and studying phase-separation behaviors in living cells by rational design of the fluorescent carbon dots in terms of structure and functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, 111 Jiulong Road, Hefei, 230601, P. R. China
| | - Hao Cai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, 111 Jiulong Road, Hefei, 23060, P. R. China
| | - Wanwan Zhou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, P. R. China
| | - Zijian Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, 111 Jiulong Road, Hefei, 23060, P. R. China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, P. R. China
| | - Hong Bi
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University, 111 Jiulong Road, Hefei, 23060, P. R. China
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10
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Shan F, Zhang T, Liao C, Yue X, Zhang J, Yan L, Liu Y, Cao Z, Wang M, Zhang Y, Wang L, Wang Z, Yu X. Red/NIR emission carbonized polymer dots based on citric acid-benzoylurea and their application in lymph nodes imaging. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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11
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Lin L, Bao Z, Jiang P, Xu Z, Shi B, Xu G, Wang D, Wei X, Gu B. Superior biocompatible carbon dots for dynamic fluorescence imaging of nucleoli in living cells. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2935-2949. [PMID: 36912088 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm02139k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The nucleolus is a newly developed and promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy, and its imaging is extremely significant for fundamental research and clinical applications. The unique feature, i.e., high resolution at the subcellular level, makes the fluorescence imaging method a powerful tool for nucleolus imaging. However, the fluorescence imaging of nucleoli in living cells is restricted by the limited availability of fluorescent agents with specific nucleolus-targeting capability and superior biocompatibility. Here, promising carbon dots (CDs) with intrinsic nucleolus-targeting capability were synthesized, characterized and employed for dynamic fluorescence imaging of nucleoli in living cells. The CDs exhibit a high fluorescence quantum yield of 0.2, excellent specificity and photostability, and superior biocompatibility, which were systematically demonstrated at the gene, cellular and animal levels and confirmed by their biological effects on embryonic development. All these features enabled CDs to light up the nucleoli for a long time with a high signal-to-noise ratio in living cells and monitor the nucleolar dynamics of malignant cells in camptothecin (CPT) based chemotherapy. Their excellent optical and biological features as well as general nucleolus-targeting capability endow CDs with great potential for future translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyun Lin
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Zhouzhou Bao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pengfei Jiang
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Zhourui Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Bo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Gaixia Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Xunbin Wei
- Biomedical Engineering Department and International Cancer Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Bobo Gu
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
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12
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Sun X, Mosleh N. Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Super-Resolution Microscopy. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:890. [PMID: 36769896 PMCID: PMC9917526 DOI: 10.3390/ma16030890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Conventional fluorescence microscopy is limited by the optical diffraction of light, which results in a spatial resolution of about half of the light's wavelength, approximately to 250-300 nm. The spatial resolution restricts the utilization of microscopes for studying subcellular structures. In order to improve the resolution and to shatter the diffraction limit, two general approaches were developed: a spatially patterned excitation method and a single-molecule localization strategy. The success of super-resolution imaging relies on bright and easily accessible fluorescent probes with special properties. Carbon dots, due to their unique properties, have been used for super-resolution imaging. Considering the importance and fast development of this field, this work focuses on the recent progress and applications of fluorescent carbon dots as probes for super-resolution imaging. The properties of carbon dots for super-resolution microscopy (SRM) are analyzed and discussed. The conclusions and outlook on this topic are also presented.
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Mao J, Xue M, Guan X, Wang Q, Wang Z, Qin G, He H. Near-Infrared Blinking Carbon Dots Designed for Quantitative Nanoscopy. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:124-131. [PMID: 36579734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blinking carbon dots (CDs) have attracted attention as a probe for single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), yet quantitative analysis is limited because of inept blinking and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here we report the design and synthesis of near-infrared (NIR) blinking CDs with a maximum emission of around 750 nm by weaving a nitrogen-doped aromatic backbone with surplus carboxyl groups on the surface. The NIR-CDs allow conjugation to monovalent antibody fragments for labeling and imaging of cellular receptors as well as afford increases of 52% in SNR and 33% in localization precision over visible CDs. Analysis of fluorescent bursts allows for accurate counting of cellular receptors at the nanoscale resolution. Using NIR-CDs-based SMLM, we demonstrate oligomerization and internalization of programmed cell death-ligand 1 by a small molecule inhibitor for checkpoint blockade. Our NIR-CDs can become a generally applicable probe for quantitative nanoscopy in chemistry and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Minmin Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xin Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an 710065, China
| | - Zhirui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Guangyong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hua He
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
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Miao Y, Wang S, Zhang B, Liu L. Carbon dot-based nanomaterials: a promising future nano-platform for targeting tumor-associated macrophages. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133238. [PMID: 37205099 PMCID: PMC10186348 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the internal environment that tumors depend on for survival and development. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as an important part of the tumor microenvironment, which plays a crucial role in the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of various malignant tumors and has immunosuppressant ability. With the development of immunotherapy, eradicating cancer cells by activating the innate immune system has yielded encouraging results, however only a minority of patients show a lasting response. Therefore, in vivo imaging of dynamic TAMs is crucial in patient-tailored immunotherapy to identify patients who will benefit from immunotherapy, monitor efficacy after treatment, and identify alternative strategies for non-responders. Meanwhile, developing nanomedicines based on TAMs-related antitumor mechanisms to effectively inhibit tumor growth is expected to become a promising research field. Carbon dots (CDs), as an emerging member of the carbon material family, exhibit unexpected superiority in fluorescence imaging/sensing, such as near infrared imaging, photostability, biocompatibility and low toxicity. Their characteristics naturally integrate therapy and diagnosis, and when CDs are combined with targeted chemical/genetic/photodynamic/photothermal therapeutic moieties, they are good candidates for targeting TAMs. We concentrate our discussion on the current learn of TAMs and describe recent examples of macrophage modulation based on carbon dot-associated nanoparticles, emphasizing the advantages of their multifunctional platform and their potential for TAMs theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lin Liu
- *Correspondence: Butian Zhang, ; Lin Liu,
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Pramanik SK, Sreedharan S, Tiwari R, Dutta S, Kandoth N, Barman S, Aderinto SO, Chattopadhyay S, Das A, Thomas JA. Nanoparticles for super-resolution microscopy: intracellular delivery and molecular targeting. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:9882-9916. [PMID: 36420611 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00605c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Following an overview of the approaches and techniques used to acheive super-resolution microscopy, this review presents the advantages supplied by nanoparticle based probes for these applications. The various clases of nanoparticles that have been developed toward these goals are then critically described and these discussions are illustrated with a variety of examples from the recent literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kumar Pramanik
- CSIR - Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar, Gujarat 364002, India.
| | - Sreejesh Sreedharan
- Human Science Research Centre, University of Derby, Kedleston road, DE22 1GB, UK
| | - Rajeshwari Tiwari
- CSIR - Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar, Gujarat 364002, India.
| | - Sourav Dutta
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
| | - Noufal Kandoth
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
| | - Surajit Barman
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
| | - Stephen O Aderinto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S3 7HF, UK.
| | - Samit Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences, BITS-Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, NH 17B, Zuarinagar, Goa 403726, India.
| | - Amitava Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
| | - Jim A Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S3 7HF, UK.
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Guan X, Wang B, Zhang Y, Qi G, Chen L, Jin Y. Monitoring Stress Response Difference in Nucleolus Morphology and ATP Content Changes during Hyperthermia Cell Apoptosis with Plasmonic Fluorescent Nanoprobes. Anal Chem 2022; 94:13842-13851. [PMID: 36174112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The nucleolus, as a main "cellular stress receptor", is the hub of the stress response driving cancer development and has great research value in the field of organelle-targeting photothermal therapy. However, there are few studies focused on monitoring nucleolar stress response and revealing how the energy metabolism of cells regulates the nucleolar stress response during photothermal therapy. Herein, by designing a nucleolus-targeting and ATP- and photothermal-responsive plasmonic fluorescent nanoprobe (AuNRs-CDs) based on gold nanorods (AuNRs) and fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CDs), we achieved real-time fluorescence imaging of nucleus morphology while monitoring changes of ATP content at the subcellular level. We found that the green fluorescence diminished at 5 min of photothermal therapy, and the nucleolus morphology began to shrink and became smaller in cancerous HepG2 cells. In contrast, there is no significant change of green fluorescence in the nucleolar region of normal HL-7702 cells. ATP content monitoring also showed similar results. Apparently, in response to photothermal stimuli, cancerous cells produce more ATP (energy) along with obvious change in nucleolus morphology and state compared to normal cells under the hyperthermia-induced cell apoptosis. The developed AuNRs-CDs as a nucleolus imaging nanoprobe and effective photothermal agent present promising applications for nucleolar stress studies and targeted photothermal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Guan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, Jilin P.R. China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, P.R. China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, P.R. China
| | - Guohua Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Limei Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, Jilin P.R. China
| | - Yongdong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Jilin, P.R. China.,University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, P.R. China
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Wang Q, Zhang Q, He H, Feng Z, Mao J, Hu X, Wei X, Bi S, Qin G, Wang X, Ge B, Yu D, Ren H, Huang F. Carbon Dot Blinking Fingerprint Uncovers Native Membrane Receptor Organizations via Deep Learning. Anal Chem 2022; 94:3914-3921. [PMID: 35188385 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c04947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Oligomeric organization of G protein-coupled receptors is proposed to regulate receptor signaling and function, yet rapid and precise identification of the oligomeric status especially for native receptors on a cell membrane remains an outstanding challenge. By using blinking carbon dots (CDs), we now develop a deep learning (DL)-based blinking fingerprint recognition method, named deep-blinking fingerprint recognition (BFR), which allows automatic classification of CD-labeled receptor organizations on a cell membrane. This DL model integrates convolutional layers, long-short-term memory, and fully connected layers to extract time-dependent blinking features of CDs and is trained to a high accuracy (∼95%) for identifying receptor organizations. Using deep blinking fingerprint recognition, we found that CXCR4 mainly exists as 87.3% monomers, 12.4% dimers, and <1% higher-order oligomers on a HeLa cell membrane. We further demonstrate that the heterogeneous organizations can be regulated by various stimuli at different degrees. The receptor-binding ligands, agonist SDF-1α and antagonist AMD3100, can induce the dimerization of CXCR4 to 33.1 and 20.3%, respectively. In addition, cytochalasin D, which inhibits actin polymerization, similarly prompts significant dimerization of CXCR4 to 30.9%. The multi-pathway organization regulation will provide an insight for understanding the oligomerization mechanism of CXCR4 as well as for elucidating their physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hua He
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Zhenzhen Feng
- Technical Center of Qingdao Customs District, Qingdao 266500, China
| | - Jian Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Simin Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Guangyong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Baosheng Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Daoyong Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Fang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
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