Subgram-Scale Synthesis of Biomass Waste-Derived Fluorescent Carbon Dots in Subcritical Water for Bioimaging, Sensing, and Solid-State Patterning.

ABSTRACT: Fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) have received considerable attention because of the great potential for a wide range of applications, from bioimaging to optoelectronic devices. In this work, we reported the synthesis of nitrogen-doped FCDs with an average size of 2 nm in a subcritical water apparatus by using biomass waste (i.e., expired milk) as the precursor. The obtained FCDs were highly dispersed in aqueous solution because of the presence of O-containing functional groups on their surfaces. Under the excitation of ultraviolet and blue light, the FCDs exhibited excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence in the emission range of 400-550 nm. The FCDs could be easily taken up by HeLa cells without additional surface functionalization, serving as fluorescent nanoprobes for bioimaging. The

SUBMITTER: Su R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6217608 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature