CARBON DOTS: A REVIEW ON RECENT ADVANCEMENT IN PROPERTIES, SYNTHESIS AND BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Shreya Parkar*, Rutuja Sawant, Akshay Gade, and Prajakta Kegade

ABSTRACT

Luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) represent a novel form of carbon nanomaterials with a size below 10 nm. It was first discovered in the electrophoretic analysis of fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube fragments. Carbon Dots (CDs) mainly includes carbon nanodots, carbon quantum dots, graphene quantum dots, and carbonized polymer dots. Carbon dots have tunable emission with a different excitation wavelength and abundant surface functional groups which will act as a platform for the attachment of several drugs and ligands. CQDs are also suitable for surface passivation by various organic and inorganic molecules and by surface passivation physical and fluorescence properties are enhanced. As well as carboxyl moieties on the surface of CDs imparts solubility and biocompatibility. Due to This unique combination of characteristics, along with the ease with which they can be synthesized, carbon dots are drawing significant attention as a novel nanoparticle and a promising approach in Bioimaging, biosensing, Targeted drug delivery, gene delivery, and other applications. Recently a triple conjugated system was also developed with carbon dots (C-dots), which have gained tremendous success in Cancer Therapy. In this review, we present some of the most recent applications of carbon dots in biomedicals and concentrating on their fluorescence properties, types, synthesis, and surface modifications.

Keywords: CQDs, CDs, C-dots.