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A review on syntheses, properties, characterization and bioanalytical applications of fluorescent carbon dots

  • Review Article
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Abstract

Carbon dots (C-dots) are a kind of fluorescent nanoparticles that are strongly fluorescent, non-blinking, and can be easily synthesized at low cost. Their emission color can be tuned by varying the excitation wavelength. Their properties make them strong competitors to semiconductor quantum dots. Synthetic approaches for C-dots can be classified into two categories, viz. top-down and bottom-up methods. Surface passivated and functionalized C-dots can be utilized to sense pH values, metal ions and organic molecules. Owing to their low cytotoxicity, biocompatibility and impressive photostability, long-term observations become possible. C-dots also show promise as labels and for bioimaging. This review (with 142 refs.) is divided into several sections. The first covers commonly used methods for preparation of C-dots including laser ablation, arc discharge, electrochemical methods, pyrolytic processes, template based methods, microwave assisted methods, chemical oxidation methods, reverse micelle based methods, etc. The first section also covers methods for surface functionalization and passivation. We continue by discussing the spectroscopic properties and other physical and chemical properties of C-dots (fluorescence, up-conversion fluorescence, methods for enhancing photoluminescence, effects of pH value, cytotoxicity, etc.). Another section covers the characterization including TEM and XRD. Applications in biology are summarized and subdivided into in vitro imaging, in vivo imaging, chemical probe, quantitation of biomacromolecules, but also in drug delivery, photoacoustic imaging and anticancer therapy. We finally discuss current challenges and perspectives in this promising field.

This review summarizes the commonly used methods for the preparation of C-dots, their surface functionalization, physical and chemical properties, characterization as well as applications and recent advances in the fields of biology and anticancer therapy. We also discuss the challenges and perspectives in this exciting and promising field.

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Abbreviations

AEAPMS:

N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl methyldimethoxysilane

ALP:

Alkaline phosphatase

ALT:

Alanine amino transferase

AST:

Aspartate amino transferase

B-C-dots:

Blue fluorescent carbon dots

bPEI:

Branched polyethylenimine

BUN:

Blood urea nitrogen

C-dots:

Carbon dots

CNTs:

Carbon nanotubes

Cr:

Creatinine

DAB:

Diaminebenzene

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid

F-C-dots:

Full-color fluorescent carbon dots

FITC:

Fluoresceinisothiocyanate

FRET:

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

HPAA:

Hyperbranched poly(amino amine)

HRTEM:

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy

LC50 :

Median lethal concentration

MCF-7:

Michigan Cancer Foundation-7

MUC1:

Mucin 1

MTT:

3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

NAC:

N-acetyl-L-cysteine

N-C-dots:

Nitrogen-doped C-dots

NIR:

Near-infrared

NMR:

Nuclear magnetic resonance

PA:

Photoacoustic

PBB15:

4,4′-dibrominated biphenyl

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

PEI:

Polyethylenimine

PL:

Photoluminescence

PPEI-EI:

Poly(propionylethyleneimine-co-ethyleneimine)

QDs:

Quantum dots

RBITC:

Rhodamine B isothiocyanate

SLN:

Sentinel lymph nodes

TAT:

Trans-activator of transcription

TEM:

Transmission electron microscope

TMB:

1,3,5-trimethylbenzene

TMPyP:

5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl 4-pyridinio)porphyrins

TOAB:

Tetraoctyl ammonium bromide

UA:

Uric acid

UV:

Ultraviolet

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Graduate Students Innovative Projects of Jiangsu Province (No.CXZZ11_0812). We are delighted to discuss the development of C-dots with colleagues in our research group. We thank co-workers for help and constructive suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Laboratory, Yishui Central Hospital, Linyi, 276000, China

    Pengli Zuo, Xiuhua Lu & Zhigang Sun

  2. Department of Analytical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjia Lane, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu Province, China

    Yuhan Guo & Hua He

  3. Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Ministry of Education, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Hua He

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  1. Pengli Zuo
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  2. Xiuhua Lu
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Correspondence to Hua He.

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Zuo, P., Lu, X., Sun, Z. et al. A review on syntheses, properties, characterization and bioanalytical applications of fluorescent carbon dots. Microchim Acta 183, 519–542 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1705-3

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