Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) are a new class of carbon nanomaterials and have demonstrated excellent optical properties, good biocompatibility, great aqueous solubility, low cost, simple synthesis, etc. Since their discovery, various synthesis methods using different precursors have been developed, and are mainly classified as top-down and bottom-up approaches. For the mechanistic origin of CDs photoluminescence, three mechanisms have been proposed such as quantum confinement effect, surface state and molecule state. CDs have presented many applications, and this review article mainly focuses on the development of CDs based fluorescent sensors in recent 5 years. The sensing mechanisms, senor design and sensing properties to various targets are summarized. A broad range of analytes including cations, anions, small molecules, macromolecules, cells and bacteria have been discussed. In addition, the challenges and future directions for CDs as sensing materials are also presented.

Fluorescent carbon dots and their sensing applications

Luminescent carbon-based nanomaterials have inspired tremendous research interests due to their tunable optical properties as well as superior biocompatibility. In this review, distinct light emission properties of carbon dots (CDs) derived from different synthesis methods are summarized. The optical properties of as-synthesized CDs can be further controlled by element doping and surface functionalization of CDs for tunable band gap. Due to their low cytotoxicity and tunable optical behaviors, luminescent CDs have been extensively studied for their potential biomedical applications, such as analytical sensors, and bioimaging devices. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the emerging luminescent CDs and their applications as biosensors and bioimaging agents. The challenges and perspectives in the near future are also discussed.

A review of carbon dots in biological applications

The "carbon nano-world" has made over the past few decades huge contributions in diverse scientific disciplines and technological advances. While dramatic advances have been widely publicized in using carbon nanomaterials such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene in materials sciences, nano-electronics, and photonics, their contributions to biology and biomedicine have been noteworthy as well. This Review focuses on the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and carbon quantum dots [encompassing graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and carbon dots (C-dots)] in biologically oriented materials and applications. Examples of these remarkable nanomaterials in bio-sensing, cell- and tissue-imaging, regenerative medicine, and other applications are presented and discussed, emphasizing the significance of their unique properties and their future potential.

Carbon Nanomaterials in Biological Studies and Biomedicine.

Synthesis of highly fluorescent carbon dots from lemon and onion juices for determination of riboflavin in multivitamin/mineral supplements.

Current clinical treatments including surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapy for brain cancer result in high mortality due to the complex structure of the brain aggressiveness of brain cancer. Recently, non-invasive photothermal therapy (PTT) using near infrared laser irradiation has been developed as an alternative emerging therapy for brain cancer. In this paper, a biocompatible porphyrin functionalized graphene oxide (PGO) with high absorbance at 808 nm is synthesized as a photothermal platform for brain cancer therapy. Graphite oxide is exfoliated and conjugated with porphyrin through π–π interactions. This PGO is two times more stable than reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in aqueous solution. Most importantly, the efficiency of the photo-thermal conversion of PGO is increased by 89% and 33% compared to graphene oxide and rGO under 808 nm laser irradiation, causing ablation of a large number of brain cancer cells in vitro. This PGO platform containing active functional groups allows specific targeting in PTT without harming healthy cells and tissues.

Efficient photothermal therapy of brain cancer through porphyrin functionalized graphene oxide

In this paper, a novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) ration-metric fluorescent probe based on heteroatom N, S doped carbon dots (N, S-CDs) was developed to determine riboflavin in aqueous solutions. The ratio of two emission intensities at different wavelengths is applied to determine the concentration of riboflavin (RF). This method is more effective in reducing the background interference and fluctuation of diverse conditions. Therefore, this probe obtains high sensitivity with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 nM (0.7 ng/ml) which is in the highest level of all riboflavin detection approaches and higher than single wavelength intensity detection (1.9 μM). In addition, this sensor has a high selectivity of detecting riboflavin in deionized water (pH=7) with other biochemical like amino acids. Moreover, riboflavin in aqueous solution is very sensitive to sunlight and can be degraded to lumiflavin, which is toxic. Because the N, S doped carbon dots cannot serve as an energy donor for N, S doped carbon dots and lumiflavin system, this system makes it easy to determine whether the riboflavin is degraded or not, which is first to be reported. This platform may provide possibilities to build a new and facile fluorescence resonance energy transfer based sensor to detect analytes and metamorphous analytes in aqueous solution.

Ratio-metric sensor to detect riboflavin via fluorescence resonance energy transfer with ultrahigh sensitivity

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Ratio-metric sensor to detect riboflavin via fluorescence resonance energy transfer with ultrahigh sensitivity