One‐Pot Synthesis of Highly Luminescent Carbon Quantum Dots and Their Nontoxic Ingestion by Zebrafish for In Vivo Imaging

Photoluminescent carbon and/or silicon‐based nanodots have attracted ever increasing interest. Accordingly, a myriad of synthetic methodologies have been developed to fabricate them, which unfortunately, however, frequently involve relatively tedious steps, such as initial surface passivation and subsequent functionalization. Herein, we describe a green and sustainable synthetic strategy to combine these procedures into one step and to produce highly luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs), which can also be easily fabricated into flexible thin films with intense luminescence for future roll‐to‐roll manufacturing of optoelectronic devices. The as‐synthesized CQDs exhibited enhanced cellular permeability and low or even noncytotoxicity for cellular applications, as corroborated by confocal fluorescence imaging of HeLa cells as well as cell viability measurements. Most strikingly, zebrafish were directly fed with CQDs for in vivo imaging, and mortality and morphologic analysis indicated ingestion of the CQDs posed no harm to the living organisms. Hence, the multifunctional CQDs potentially provide a rich pool of tools for optoelectronic and biomedical applications.     

Single‐Nanoparticle Cell Barcoding by Tunable FRET from Lanthanides to Quantum Dots

Fluorescence barcoding based on nanoparticles provides many advantages for multiparameter imaging. However, creating different concentration‐independent codes without mixing various nanoparticles and by using single‐wavelength excitation and emission for multiplexed cellular imaging is extremely challenging. Herein, we report the development of quantum dots (QDs) with two different SiO₂ shell thicknesses (6 and 12 nm) that are coated with two different lanthanide complexes (Tb and Eu). FRET from the Tb or Eu donors to the QD acceptors resulted in four distinct photoluminescence (PL) decays, which were encoded by simple time‐gated (TG) PL intensity detection in three individual temporal detection windows. The well‐defined single‐nanoparticle codes were used for live cell imaging and a one‐measurement distinction of four different cells in a single field of view. This single‐color barcoding strategy opens new opportunities for multiplexed labeling and tracking of cells.     

Exploring Feasibility for Application of Luminescent CdTe Quantum Dots Prepared in Aqueous Phase to Live Cell Imaging

Due to the quantum confinement, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) show some unique and fascinating optical properties, such as, sharp and symmetrical emission spectra, high quantum yield (QY), good chemical and photo-stability. These excellent optical prop…     

Live Cell Imaging Using Photoswitchable Diarylethene‐Doped Fluorescent Polymer Dots

Fluorescence photoswitching using nanomaterials has recently emerged as a promising approach for the imaging of biological targets. However, despite intensive research efforts during the last decade, practical microscopy of biological targets using photoswitchable nanoparticles in real time remains challenging. To address this problem, we have developed live macrophage cell imaging and single particle imaging methods, using photoswitchable fluorescent diarylethene‐doped polymer nanoparticles (P‐dots) under Xe lamp irradiation. We established a 34‐times prolonged “off‐state”, using P‐dots doped with a diarylethene‐containing methoxy substituent, upon visible‐light irradiation using a Xe lamp and a green fluorescent protein filter cube. To demonstrate the practicality of doped P‐dots imaging, we imaged lysosomes in macrophage cells, and observed 11‐times slower recovery of the fluorescence from the “off‐state” to the “on‐state”, indicating their potential for cellular imaging.     

Photoactivated Fluorescence Enhancement in F,N‐Doped Carbon Dots with Piezochromic Behavior

Photoactivation in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on UV/Vis light exposure improves photoluminescence (PL) and photostability. However, it was not observed in fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CDs). Now, photoactivated fluorescence enhancement in fluorine and nitrogen co‐doped carbon dots (F,N‐doped CDs) is presented. At 1.0 atm, the fluorescence intensity of F,N‐doped CDs increases with UV light irradiation (5 s–30 min), accompanied with a blue‐shift of the fluorescence emission from 586 nm to 550 nm. F,N‐doped CDs exhibit photoactivated fluorescence enhancement when exposed to UV under high pressure (0.1 GPa). F,N‐doped CDs show reversible piezochromic behavior while applying increasing pressure (1.0 atm to 9.98 GPa), showing a pressure‐triggered aggregation‐induced emission in the range 1.0 atm–0.65 GPa. The photoactivated CDs with piezochromic fluorescence enhancement broadens the versatility of CDs from ambient to high‐pressure conditions and enhances their anti‐photobleaching.     

pH‐sensitive carbon quantum dots−doxorubicin nanoparticles for tumor cellular targeted drug delivery

A kind of pH‐responsive carbon quantum dots?doxorubicin nanoparticles drug delivery platform (D‐Biotin/DOX‐loaded mPEG‐OAL/N‐CQDs) was designed and synthesized. The system consists of fluorescent carbon dots as cross‐linkers, and D‐Biotin worked as targeting groups, which made the system have a pH correspondence, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as the target drug, oxidized sodium alginate (OAL) as carrier materials. Ultraviolet (UV)‐Vis spectrum showed that the drug‐loading rate of DOX is 10.5%, and the drug release in vitro suggested that the system had a pH response and tumor cellular targeted, the drug release rate is 65.6% at the value of pH is 5.0, which is much higher than that at the value of pH is 7.4. The cytotoxicity test and laser confocal fluorescence imaging showed that the synthesized drug delivery system has high cytotoxicity to cancer cells, and the drug‐loaded nanoparticles could enter the cells through endocytosis.     

Semiconducting Polymer Dots with Dual‐Enhanced NIR‐IIa Fluorescence for Through‐Skull Mouse‐Brain Imaging

Fluorescence probes in the NIR‐IIa region show drastically improved imaging owing to the reduced photon scattering and autofluorescence in biological tissues. Now, NIR‐IIa polymer dots (Pdots) are developed with a dual fluorescence enhancement mechanism. First, the aggregation induced emission of phenothiazine was used to reduce the nonradiative decay pathways of the polymers in condensed states. Second, fluorescence quenching was minimized by different levels of steric hindrance to further boost the fluorescence. The resulting Pdots displayed a fluorescence QY of ca. 1.7 % in aqueous solution, suggesting an enhancement of ca. 21 times in comparison with the original polymer in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution. Small‐animal imaging by using the NIR‐IIa Pdots exhibited a remarkable improvement in penetration depth and signal to background ratio, as confirmed by through‐skull and through‐scalp fluorescent imaging of the cerebral vasculature of live mice.     

Mn,B, N co-doped graphene quantum dots for fluorescence sensing and biological imaging

The fluorescent and quantum yield (QY) of graphene quantum dots has been improved in recent years by doped atoms, which have good application prospects in fluorescence sensors and biological imaging. Here, a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method was used to synthesize manganese ions bonded with boron and nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (Mn-BN-GQDs). Compared with the boron and nitrogen co-doping graphene quantum dots (BN-GQDs), the fluorescence properties and quantum yield of Mn-BN-GQDs are significantly improved. Meanwhile, Mn-BN-GQDs exhibit low toxicity and good fluorescence imaging in living cells and has high selectivity to Fe³⁺ ions. Therefore, this experiment design Mn-BN-GQDs as a fluorescence sensor to detect Fe³⁺ ions, providing strong evidence for the advanced high sensitivity, selectivity and wide detection range of the Mn-BN-GQDs as a fluorescence sensor. These results indicate a dual linear relationship with good linear relationships in the 10–100 μM and 100–800 μM ranges, and limit of detection are 0.78 μM and 9.08 μM, respectively. Cellular imaging results demonstrate that Mn-BN-GQDs can be used as fluorescence sensors in biological imaging. Mn-BN-GQDs can be used for fluorescence sensing in biological imaging in combination with low toxicity, QY and quantum dot lifetime.     

Facile Microwave‐Assisted Solid‐Phase Synthesis of Highly Fluorescent Nitrogen–Sulfur‐Codoped Carbon Quantum Dots for Cellular Imaging Applications

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have recently attracted significant attention for both their fundamental science and technological applications as a new class of fluorescent zero‐dimensional nanomaterials with a size below 10 nm. However, the reported methods of synthesis were generally less suitable for the large‐scale production of the CQDs with high‐fluorescent quantum yield (QY). In the paper, a novel one‐pot microwave‐assisted drying synthesis approach was presented to prepare CQDs with high QY of 61.3 % for the first time. The production yield of CQDs was 35±3 % in weight. The as‐prepared CQDs were characterized by various techniques such as TEM, AFM, XRD, XPS, FTIR spectroscopy, UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the high QY of CQDs was largely attributed to the dual doping of nitrogen and sulphur into CQDs. Such CQDs were then used as live‐cell imaging reagents due to their high QY, good water dispersibility, fine biocompatibility, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity.     

3,4-Dinitrobenzamide Functionalized CdTe/ZnTe Quantum Dots as a Nanoprobe for Imaging Glutathione S-Transferase in Living Cells

A novel fluorescent nanoprobe for glutathione S‐transferase (GST) has been developed by incorporating 3,4‐dinitrobenzamide (a specific substrate of GST) onto CdTe/ZnTe quantum dots. The probe itself displays a low background signal due to the strong quenching effect of the electron‐withdrawing unit of 3,4‐dinitrobenzamide on the quantum dots. However, GST can efficiently catalyze the nucleophilic substitution of reduced glutathione on the p‐nitro group of the nanoprobe, leading to a large fluorescence enhancement. Most notably, this enhancement shows high selectivity and sensitivity towards GST instead of the other biological substances. With this nanoprobe, a simple fluorescence imaging method for intracellular GST has been established, and its applicability has been successfully demonstrated for imaging GST in different living cells, which reveals that A549 cells express GST about 3 times higher than NIH‐3T3 and Hela cells.     

Dual-emitter polymer carbon dots with spectral selection towards nanomolar detection of iron and aluminum ions

We report on the spectral selection of excitation wavelength towards selective detection of aluminum and iron ions using dual emission polymer carbon dots (PCDs). PCDs were prepared from glucose and dilute sulfuric acid using one-pot solvothermal method. The PCDs emit blue light at 480 nm when excited at 340 nm, while emit red light at 590 nm when excited with 400 nm. Spectral selection (selection of excited state) showed sensitivity enhancement for detection of some metal ions. The PCDs showed fluorescence enhancement when combined with Al³⁺ ions with hypsochromic shift centered at 470 nm when excited at 440 nm. While the PCDs selectively quenched via addition of Fe³⁺ ions, when excited at 400 nm. The wavelength selection of the same carbon dots increases signal to noise ration. The PCDs showed thermo-sensing behavior from 0 °C to 90 °C with reasonably good reversibility. The PCDs acted as fluorescent probes for multicolor (green and yellow) imaging of MCF-7 cells while not inducing cell death, which indicates that the PCDs are biocompatible and nontoxic to the cells. Therefore, the PCDs can be used as probes for cell-imaging applications in vitro and in vivo. The PCDs proved to be a multi-purpose polymer carbon nanomaterial that can used for pharmaceutical analysis, bio-imaging and thermo-sensing while providing high accuracy, selectivity and a limit of detection in the nano range.     

Synthesis of Ultra‐Stable Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Polyvinylpyrrolidone and Their Application in the Detection of Hydroxyl Radicals

Highly biocompatible and highly photostable fluorescent carbon dots (C dots) were obtained through a simple and nontoxic one‐pot hydrothermal method. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, a common and low‐cost biocompatibility reagent, was used as the only carbon source for the first time. The resulting water‐soluble C dots showed a quantum yield of up to 23.58 % with low cytotoxicity, favorable photoluminescent properties, and good photostability. Importantly, the fluorescence intensities of the C dots were quite stable in high‐salt conditions and over a broad pH range (3.0–10.5). The as‐prepared C dots have been demonstrated to be an excellent probe for hydroxyl radicals sensing based on the fluorescence quenching with great sensitivity and specificity. This opens up a new application field for C dots.     

Highly Fluorescent Chiral N‐S‐Doped Carbon Dots from Cysteine: Affecting Cellular Energy Metabolism

Cysteine‐based chiral optically active carbon dots (CDs) and their effects on cellular energy metabolism, which is vital for essential cellular functions, have been barely reported. A green and effective synthesis strategy for chiral N‐S‐doped CDs (fluorescence quantum yield ca. 41.26 %) based on hydrothermal treatment of l ‐ or d ‐cysteine at as low as 60 °C has been developed. This suggested that cysteine was instable in aqueous solutions and acts as a warning for high‐temperature synthesis of nanomaterials using cysteine as stabilizer. Human bladder cancer T24 cells treated with l ‐CDs showed up‐regulated glycolysis, while d ‐CDs had no similar effects. In contrast, no disturbance to the basal mitochondrial aerobic respiration of T24 cells was caused by either chiral CD.     

One‐Pot Green Synthesis of Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Cell Nucleus Labeling and Copper(II) Detection

The doping of nitrogen into carbon quantum dots is vitally important for improved fluorescence performance. However, the synthesis of nitrogen‐doped carbon quantum dots (N‐CQDs) is usually conducted under strong acid and high temperature, which results in environmental pollution and energy consumption. Herein, the N‐CQDs were prepared by a mild one‐pot hydrothermal process. The hydrothermal reaction temperature was adjusted to control the particle size, nitrogen/carbon atomic ratio, and quantum yield. The products were water soluble with a narrow particle size distribution and good dispersion stability over a wide pH range. The N‐CQDs could penetrate into the HeLa cell nucleus without any further functionalization. Moreover, the fluorescence of N‐CQDs could be selectively quenched by Cu²⁺, which suggested applications for the detection of Cu²⁺ in human plasma.     

Ultrasmall green-emitting carbon nanodots with 80% photoluminescence quantum yield for lysosome imaging

Carbon-based fluorescent nanomaterials have gained much attention in recent years. In this work, green-photoluminescent carbon nanodots (CNDs; also termed carbon dots, CDs) with amine termination were synthesized via the hydrothermal treatment of amine-containing spermine and rose bengal (RB) molecules. The CNDs have an ultrasmall size of ∼2.2 nm and present bright photoluminescence with a high quantum yield of ∼80% which is possibly attributed to the loss of halogen atoms (Cl and I) during the hydrothermal reaction. Different from most CNDs which have multicolor fluorescence emission, the as-prepared CNDs possess excitation-independent emission property, which can avoid fluorescence overlap with other fluorescent dyes. Moreover, the weakly basic amine-terminated surface endows the CNDs with the acidotropic effect. As a result, the CNDs can accumulate in the acidic lysosomes after cellular internalization and can serve as a favorable agent for lysosome imaging. Besides, the CNDs have a negligible impact on the lysosomal morphology even after 48 h incubation and exhibit excellent biocompatibility in the used cell models.     

Matrix‐Free and Highly Efficient Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence Carbon Dots towards Information Encryption and Decryption

Designing efficient room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) carbon dots (C‐dots) without the need of an additional matrix is important for various applications. Herein, matrix‐free and highly efficient C‐dots with yellow‐green RTP emission have been successfully synthesized towards information encryption and decryption. Phytic acid (PA) and triethylenetetramine are used as molecular precursors, and a facile microwave‐assisted heating method is selected as synthesis method. The obtained C‐dots exhibit a maximum phosphorescence emission at around 535 nm under an excitation wavelength of 365 nm and a long average lifetime up to 750 ms (more than 9 s to the naked eye). PA containing six phosphate groups and serving as P source plays a significant role in producing the RTP C‐dots. Furthermore, potential applications of the RTP C‐dots in the field of information encryption and decryption are successfully demonstrated.     

异元素掺杂碳点的制备及其在生物成像中的应用

荧光碳点具有良好的生物相容性和优良的抗光漂白能力,因此碳点在生物荧光成像方面的应用潜力受到广泛关注,但是碳点相对较低的荧光量子产率和缺乏近红外荧光发射的缺陷限制了碳点在荧光成像分析中的应用.随着异元素掺杂对碳点结构和荧光性质的改善,碳点被越来越广泛地用于生物成像.本文对近年来元素掺杂碳点的合成方法、异元素掺杂对碳点光学性质的影响和元素掺杂碳点在成像分析中的进展进行了综述,并对其应用前景进行了展望.     

Blood compatible heteratom-doped carbon dots for bio-imaging of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Carbon dots have unique advantages in biological applications owing to their excellent optical prope rties.However,the biosafety evaluation of carbon dots has limitations owing to cytotoxicity in vitro,and the re is little pre-safety evaluation before in vivo and clinical applications.Whether the carbon dots are or not suitable for applications in vivo,evaluation analysis can be made based on hemolysis and changes in erythrocyte morphology.In this work,a green fluorescent N,S-doped carbon dots(N,S-CDs)were obtained by hydrothermal method,tobias acid,and m-phenylenediamine as precursors.N,S-CDs not only possessed excellent dispersibility,uniform particle size,high quantum yield(37.2%)and stable photoluminescence property but also retain their photostability and stro ng fluorescence intensity in the acid/alkaline solutions,different ionic strengths(NaCl)and under 365 nm UV illumination.Moreove r,the N,S-CDs displayed low cytotoxicity and high cellular uptake efficiency in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and excellent blood compatibility to the erythrocyte.It is foreseeable that N,S-CDs could be further studied as a promising biological imaging agent in vivo.     

Fluorescence Intensity Enhancement of Green Carbon Dots: Synthesis,Characterization and Cell Imaging

The hydrothermal treatment of green carbon dots (CDs) is an appropriate fluorescent probe synthesis method. CDs are exploited as biological staining agents, especially for cellular detection and imaging. The nitrogen-doped green carbon dots (N-CDs) formation can improve the fluorescence intensity property in a one-step process. Here, we report two N-CDs from lemon and tomato extraction in the presence of hydroxylamine. Lemon and tomato N-CDs showed the blue fluorescence under ultraviolet radiation of about 360 nm. The characterization of CDs and N-CDs showed the presence of N-H and C–N bonds which enhanced the fluorescence efficiency. The mean size of lemon and tomato N-CDs were about 2 and 3 nm with an increased quantum yield (QY) of 5% and 3.38%, respectively. The CDs and N-CDs cytotoxicity assay exhibited high cell viability approximately 85% and 73%, respectively. N-CDs show superior fluorescent intensity in different solvents and significant stability under long-time UV irradiation, different PH and high ionic strength. Our results indicated that the use of N-CDs in cell imaging can lead to fluorescence intensity enhancement as well as proper biocompatibility. Therefore, the safe and high fluorescence intensity of green N-CDs can be utilized for fluorescent probes in biolabeling and bioimaging applications.