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 Janv. 2022
Accepted
28 Febr. 2022
First published
01 Marts 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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