Novel Amphiphilic Carbon Quantum Dots for Biological Applications.

Margarita Ritenberg, Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel


Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted significant interest because of their unique structural and optical properties. We developed a synthesis for preparation of amphiphilic CQDs that can be employed for analysis and visualization of both live cells and bio-active compounds. Interestingly, CQDs photoluminescence can be modulated by the particles environment. For instance, we showed a multitude of colors (e.g. excitation/emission wavelength pairs) detected in different solvents and, also, inside lipid membranes. Recently, we have prepared fluorescent giant vesicles (GV) contained of lipids and embedded CQDS, and use them as a template model for membrane interaction studies. Another example is staining of exopolysaccharide matrix in bacterial biofilm by these amphiphilic carbon dots. Our results reveal that in some pathogenic strains CQDs specifically attach to the biofilm matrix without staining bacteria cell membrane. Moreover, the particle’s outer shell can be easily modified by replacing of carboxylic moieties by other functional groups, which contributes to even broader applicability of the CQDs.