Issue 7, 2022

A cucurbit[6]uril-carbon dot system: a potentially new bioimaging agent

Abstract

We report novel cucurbit[6]uril (Q[6])/carbon quantum dots (CQDs) prepared by solvothermal and nitrogen doped methods. The m-Q[6]-CQDs have been characterized by FTIR, XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained m-Q[6]-CQDs exhibit good water dispersibility, photostability and strong blue fluorescence emission. The m-Q[6]-CQDs also showed good selectivity for metal ions. When Hg2+ is present, the fluorescence is quenched, but upon the addition of Al3+, the fluorescence is enhanced. It was also shown that the fluorescence of the m-Q[6]-CQDs can resist both the interference from other metal ions as well as high ionic strength environments. The m-Q[6]-CQDs were utilized for the optical bioimaging of human prostate cancer (PC-3) cells, and were found to exhibit both low cytotoxicity and excellent biocompatibility.

Graphical abstract: A cucurbit[6]uril-carbon dot system: a potentially new bioimaging agent

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
07 1 2022
Accepted
28 2 2022
First published
01 3 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Chem. Front., 2022,6, 973-980

A cucurbit[6]uril-carbon dot system: a potentially new bioimaging agent

S. Zhang, Y. Tian, M. Liu, T. Hong-Meng, C. Li, X. Zeng, X. Xiao and C. Redshaw, Mater. Chem. Front., 2022, 6, 973 DOI: 10.1039/D2QM00022A

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