Brighter future for carbon dots
Carbon dots (C-dots) are light-emitting (luminescent) nanoparticles that
can be used to track biological processes inside cells. They are less toxic than
similar alternatives, making them more suitable for use in live biological
systems, but the light-emitting properties of those currently made are not
ideal.A variety of approaches have been used to make C-dots, but most require
coating of the particles with other molecules to achieve useful luminescence.
Now, work led by Amita Pathak at the Indian Institute of Technology has produced
water-soluble C-dots that selectively emit light across the entire visible range
without any surface coating. The researchers produced these C-dots by breaking
down the carbohydrate dextrin with microwaves.The resulting C-dots emitted
different colours of light when excited by specific wavelengths, even without
coating them. Exactly how this multi-coloured luminescence arises is unclear,
but it allows precise control of the light emission that can be tailored to
specific needs.To ensure that the C-dots were not toxic, the team added
different concentrations of the nanoparticles to cultured cells. After three
days, they determined how many cells had survived. Increasing concentrations of
C-dots made little difference to cell survival, showing that the C-dots are not
toxic and could therefore be used in live tissue.The properties of these new
C-dots make them ideal for a variety of bioimaging applications and for medical
diagnostics. The same researchers have already begun to look at how they may be
used to investigate interactions between drugs and cells.
References:Nagaprasad Puvvada, B N Prashanth Kumar, Suraj Konar, Himani
Kalita, Mahitosh Mandal and Amita Pathak (2012) “Synthesis of
biocompatible multicolor luminescent carbon dots for bioimaging
applications” Science and Technology of Advanced Materials Vol. 13 p.
045008DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1468-6996/13/4/045008Download
the original paper in PDF format here.
For further information contact:The Chief Executive EditorMikiko
TanifujiNational Institute for Materials ScienceTsukuba, JapanTel.
+81-(0)29-859-2494Email: stam_office@nims.go.jp
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