Carbon dots derived from natural sources and their biological and environmental impacts

Siyuan Xiang and Mingqian Tan

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2022, 9, 3206
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One-step green synthesis of carbon dots derived fromPlumeria albaflowers for sensing and bioimaging

Ye He, Xiaojing Chen, Panlin Wang, Xiao Li, Bingbing Wang, Xiaomeng Wang, Zhuzheng Wu and Wenxiang Wang

New J. Chem., 2023, 47, 8877
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Carbon dots as an emerging antibacterial agent: Antibacterial mechanism and synthetic optimization

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Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2025, 13, 118127
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Synergistic influence of the hybridization between green carbon dots adorned Psidium guajava extracted zinc oxide for boosted photocatalytic efficiency

Neeru Rani, Sandeep Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Biomass Conv. Bioref., 2025, 15, 18025
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Potential Efficacy of Herbal Medicine-Derived Carbon Dots in the Treatment of Diseases: From Mechanism to Clinic

Mingtang Zeng, Yao Wang, Maozhu Liu, Yuxun Wei, Jie Wen, Yuchen Zhang, Tao Chen, Nianyu He, Ping Fan and Xinhua Dai

IJN, 2023, Volume 18, 6503
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Fabrication of N/P-codoped carbon dots with anti-bacterial activity for enhanced aqueous lubrication performance

Guangkai Jin, Yuhong Cui, Kaige Yan, Shenghua Xue, Shujuan Liu, Qian Ye, Feng Zhou and Weimin Liu

Carbon, 2024, 230, 119578
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Engineering of Green Carbon Dots for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications

Junjie Shang, Qian Zhou, Kehan Wang and Yunlin Wei

Molecules, 2024, 29, 4508
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Biogenic synthesis of Allium cepa derived magnetic carbon dots for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B dyes

Permender Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Biomass Conv. Bioref., 2025, 15, 869
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Advanced nanomaterials for enhancing the shelf life and quality of seafood products

Turgay Cetinkaya and Wahyu Wijaya

Food Bioscience, 2024, 59, 104018
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Green synthesis of N-doped-carbon dots/ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye: optimization of reaction parameters

Neeru Rani, Sandeep Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Environ Sci Pollut Res, 2024, 31, 63408
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Health and safety aspects of carbon dots and their sustainable applications in food packaging and preservation

Ajahar Khan, Zohreh Riahi, Wanli Zhang, Ruchir Priyadarshi, Jothi Vinoth Kumar, Jong-Whan Rhim, Jun Tae Kim, Yoon Hyuk Chang and Soottawat Benjakul

Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 2025, 45, e01589
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Eco-Friendly Synthesized Carbon Dots from Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Review

Yusheng Zhao, Yucong Li, Dawei Li, Huageng Yuan and Chuanan Shen

IJN, 2025, Volume 20, 3045
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Nanomaterials with Enzyme-like Properties for Combatting Foodborne Pathogen Infections: Classifications, Mechanisms, and Applications in Food Preservation

Fangchao Cui, Lanling Li, Dangfeng Wang, Jianrong Li and Tingting Li

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2024, 72, 10179
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Guanidinium-Functionalized Carbon Dots: An Efficient Antibacterial Agent against Multidrug-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

Fangli He, Xi Liu, Sihui Yang, Huaxin Tan, Liu-Pan Yang and Li-Li Wang

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2024, 16, 65955
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Research Progress Towards and Prospects of Carbon Dots Derived from Tea and Chinese Medicinal Materials

Xiaoxue Tang, Zhao Gong, Yan Lang, Hongyue Chen, Siqi Huang and Yuguang Lv

Nanomaterials, 2025, 15, 171
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Investigation on the impact of green synthesized N-C-dots decoration over photocatalytic efficiency of S-g-C3N4/ZnO

Permender Singh, Neeru Rani, Vasundhara Madaan, Sandeep Kumar, Vinita Bhankar, Parmod Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Diamond and Related Materials, 2025, 151, 111780
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Multifunctional carbon dots reinforced gelatin-based coating film for strawberry preservation

Baoyan Guo, Guo Liu, Weihao Ye, Zhiqiang Xu, Wei Li, Jianle Zhuang, Xuejie Zhang, Lashuang Wang, Bingfu Lei, Chaofan Hu, Yingliang Liu and Hanwu Dong

Food Hydrocolloids, 2024, 147, 109327
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Carbon Dots Infused 3D Printed Cephalopod Mimetic Bactericidal and Antioxidant Hydrogel for Uniaxial Mechano‐Fluorescent Tactile Sensor

Poushali Das, Sayan Ganguly, Parham Khoshbakht Marvi, Masoomeh Sherazee, Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang, Seshasai Srinivasan and Amin Reza Rajabzadeh

Advanced Materials, 2024, 36
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Green preparation of ginger-derived carbon dots accelerates wound healing

Jianting Li, Wenjuan Fu, Xiangying Zhang, Qijia Zhang, Dandan Ma, Yuting Wang, Wenhui Qian and Dong Zhu

Carbon, 2023, 208, 208
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Super antioxidant and high antibacterial ability bi-functional xylitol/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin carbon dots with hydroxyl-functionalized for rainbow trout preservation

Dangfeng Wang, Hao Dong, Yang Jiang, Likun Ren, Yuqiong Meng, Rui Ma, Shulin Wang, Zhiteng Liu, Xuepeng Li, Fangchao Cui, Tingting Li and Jianrong Li

Food Research International, 2025, 203, 115792
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Carbon dot-based therapeutics for combating drug-resistant bacteria and biofilm infections in food preservation

Fangchao Cui, Yuanyuan Ning, Dangfeng Wang, Jianrong Li, Xuepeng Li and Tingting Li

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2024, 64, 203
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Biogenic synthesis of novel N-doped carbon-dots photocatalyst for remediation of wastewater

Permender Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Diamond and Related Materials, 2025, 152, 111974
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Synthesis of carbon dots as an antibacterial and antioxidant agent

Ying Zhang, Jie Wang, Xiuhong Wu, Rui Chang, Hongyu Luo, Juan Yang, Quan Wu, Ze Xu and Yingfu Zhong

Front. Chem., 2025, 13
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Cardamom essential oil-loaded zinc oxide nanoparticles: A sustainable antimicrobial strategy against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens

Mabrouk Sobhy, Tamer Elsamahy, Esraa A. Abdelkarim, Ebtihal Khojah, Haiying Cui and Lin Lin

Microbial Pathogenesis, 2025, 205, 107661
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Active polyvinyl alcohol packaging films incorporated with spermine functionalized carbon dots as antibacterial agents for salmon preservation

Shasha Cheng, Jiashu Li, Jiale Ma and Mingqian Tan

Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2024, 46, 101414
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Microwave-assisted green synthesis of Pithecellobium dulce seed pods derived fluorescent carbon dots for Pd2+ detection

R Swathi, G Bhagavanth Reddy, Bandi Rajkumar, Gugulothu Yaku, S Kondaiah and P Yadagiri Swamy

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Waste-Derived Sustainable Fluorescent Nanocarbon-Coated Breathable Functional Fabric for Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Applications

Poushali Das, Masoomeh Sherazee, Parham Khoshbakht Marvi, Syed Rahin Ahmed, Aharon Gedanken, Seshasai Srinivasan and Amin Reza Rajabzadeh

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2023, 15, 29425
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Natural product-derived carbon dots: Applications as a fluorescent probe for detecting Ciprofloxacin and as an antimicrobial agent

Wanlin Sun, Junlin Chen, KangLi Yan, Yuting Chi, Shaoyu Cai, Xue Li, Shuchen Pei, Shuiqin Chai and Fang Chen

Journal of Molecular Structure, 2024, 1301, 137349
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Clustering of carbon quantum dots from polysaccharides (Cellulose, Alginate, Chitosan) versus heterocyclic compounds: Synthesis, characterization and medical applications

Hanan B. Ahmed, Mary M. Mikhail, Mahmoud El-Shahat and Hossam E. Emam

Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 2025, 9, 100738
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Biomedical Applications of Carbon Dots: Advances in Antimicrobial Therapy and Targeted Delivery Systems

Maryam Aftab, Haider Ali, Muneeb Ullah, Sania Ikram, Shahid Ullah Khan, Abdul Wahab and Muhammad Naeem

Biomedical Materials & Devices, 2025
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Carbon Dots Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicines with Bioactivities: A Rising Star in Clinical Treatment

Jiawen Zhang, Linjun Zou, Qinglong Li, Haifeng Wu, Zhonghao Sun, Xudong Xu, Leiling Shi, Zhaocui Sun and Guoxu Ma

ACS Appl. Bio Mater., 2023, 6, 3984
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Assessment of biomass derived N-C-dots decoration on photocatalytic efficiency of S-g-C3N4/g-C3N4 homojunction

Permender Singh, Neeru Rani, Vasundhara Madaan, Sandeep Kumar, Vinita Bhankar, Parmod Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2025, 339, 130707
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Antimicrobial carbon dots/pectin-based hydrogel for promoting healing processes in multidrug-resistant bacteria-infected wounds

Lina Sheng, Ziyue Wang, Liyao Song, Xingxing Yang, Yongli Ye, Jiadi Sun, Jian Ji, Shuxiang Geng, Delu Ning, Yinzhi Zhang and Xiulan Sun

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024, 264, 130477
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Boric Acid-Functionalized Carbon Dots as a High-Performance Antibacterial Agent against Escherichia coli

Lingling Zhao, Yue Ma, Zhaomeng Sun, Xiaoqing Zhang and Mei Liu

Langmuir, 2023, 39, 18302
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Biomass-derived carbon dots with pharmacological activity for biomedicine: Recent advances and future perspectives

Yue Liu, Linlin Zhang, Huijuan Cai, Xiaoli Qu, Junbiao Chang, Geoffrey I.N. Waterhouse and Siyu Lu

Science Bulletin, 2024, 69, 3127
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Green preparation of silanized carbon dots with ficus virens leaves as a potent antibacterial agent and an effective fluorescent sensor of iron ion

Shuchen Pei, Xiang Huang, Lin Lai, Wanlin Sun, Shuiqin Chai and Jun Chen

Journal of Luminescence, 2023, 260, 119837
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The preparation of chiral carbon dots and the study on their antibacterial abilities

Dan Zhao, Mengyu Xu, Kang Dai, Huan Liu, Yan Jiao and Xincai Xiao

Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2023, 295, 127144
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Current trends in antimicrobial activities of carbon nanostructures: potentiality and status of nanobiochar in comparison to carbon dots

Kulathi Nishshankage, Andrea Breverly Fernandez, Shiran Pallewatta, P. K. C. Buddhinie and Meththika Vithanage

Biochar, 2024, 6
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Hydrazine Derivative-Based Carbon Dots for Potent Antibacterial Activity Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial

Hou-Qun Yuan, Zhu-Lin Wang, Meng-Ke Wang, Qiu-Yu Zhang, Xin-Yi Liang, Ting-Zhong Xie, Li-Ge He, Peiyao Chen, Hongda Zhu and Guang-Ming Bao

Nanomaterials, 2025, 15, 910
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Synthesis, applications in therapeutics, and bioimaging of traditional Chinese medicine-derived carbon dots

Susu Guo, Ran Zhang, Yingyu Liu, Qingmei Zhang, Xiaoming Liu, Xiuping Wu and Bing Li

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Green-derived carbon dots: A potent tool for biosensing in food safety

Qian Xu, Fangbin Xiao and Hengyi Xu

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2024, 64, 9095
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Preparation of lysosomal targeted fluorescent carbon dots and its applications in multi-color cell imaging and information encryption

Xiaoxiao Gao, Yan Zhang, Zheng Fu and Fengling Cui

Optical Materials, 2022, 131, 112701
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The reutilization of oolong tea waste: Synthesis of carbon dots and antibacterial mechanism against Staphylococcus aureus

Weian Ye, Shen Yang, Ritian Jin, Duo Liang, Zhongyang Ren and Rong Lin

Food Bioscience, 2025, 65, 106037
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S,Cl-doped-C-dots and S-g-C3N4 heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic remediation of dye-polluted wastewater

Permender Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Krishan Kumar

Biomass Conv. Bioref., 2025, 15, 9251
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Borophene Based 3D Extrusion Printed Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Antibacterial and Controlled Release Application

Poushali Das, Sayan Ganguly, Parham Khoshbakht Marvi, Masoomeh Sherazee, Syed Rahin Ahmed, Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang, Seshasai Srinivasan and Amin Reza Rajabzadeh

Adv Funct Materials, 2024, 34
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Carbon Dot as Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysts for a Myriad of Organic Transformations

Subir Paul, Subir Panja, Niladri Hazra, Kousik Gayen and Arindam Banerjee

J. Org. Chem., 2024, 89, 91
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Biodegradable smart packaging with an emphasis on the integration of carbon dots for real-time food quality monitoring and preservation

Nimesh Dileesha Lakshan and Chathuri M. Senanayake

Food Measure, 2025, 19, 6207
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Preparation of multi-functional active packaging film of Galla chinensis waste CDs/pullulan

Baoshan Tang, Xi Wu, Lanxiang Liu, Juan Xu, Jinju Ma and Hong Zhang

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024, 275, 133221
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Carbon dots as potential greener and sustainable fluorescent nanomaterials in service of pollutants sensing

Tahir Rasheed

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Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

Aisha Kanwal, Naheed Bibi, Sajjad Hyder, Arif Muhammad, Hao Ren, Jiangtao Liu and Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol., 2022, 13, 1068
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Application of biomass carbon dots in food packaging

Peipei Zhang, Shiyu Gao, Li Xu and Changyan Xu

Environ Sci Pollut Res, 2025, 32, 1710
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Antibacterial Carbon Dots: Mechanisms, Design, and Applications

Wen‐Bo Zhao, Kai‐Kai Liu, Yong Wang, Fu‐Kui Li, Rui Guo, Shi‐Yu Song and Chong‐Xin Shan

Adv Healthcare Materials, 2023, 12
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Recent Advances in Synthesis, Modification, Characterization, and Applications of Carbon Dots

Arul Pundi and Chi-Jung Chang

Polymers, 2022, 14, 2153
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Silicene‐Based Quantum Dots Nanocomposite Coated Functional UV Protected Textiles With Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties: A Versatile Solution for Healthcare and Everyday Protection

Poushali Das, Sayan Ganguly, Parham Khoshbakht Marvi, Shiza Hassan, Masoomeh Sherazee, Mohamed Mahana, Xiaowu (Shirley) Tang, Seshasai Srinivasan and Amin Reza Rajabzadeh

Adv Healthcare Materials, 2025, 14
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