Tuning of carbon dots emission color for sensing of Fe3+ ion and bioimaging applications

• Published in: Materials Science & Engineering C 2019-05, Vol.98, p.834-842
• Main Authors: Kailasa, Suresh Kumar, Ha, Siyoung, Baek, Seung Hoon, Phan, Le Minh Tu, Kim, Sangjun, Kwak, Kyungwon, Park, Tae Jung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Cancer cells; Carbon; Carbon dots; Carbon sources; Color; Confocal microscopy; Emission; Fabrication; Fe3+ ion; Ferric ions; Fluoresce spectroscopy and microscopy; Fluorescence; Fluorescent carbon dots; Iron; Materials science; Medical imaging; Microscopy; Scanning microscopy; Tablets; Tomato; Tomatoes; Toxicity
• ISSN: 0928-4931; 1873-0191
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.01.002

Herein, we report a facile one-step synthetic strategy for fabrication of three (blue, green and yellow) fluorescent color carbon dots (CDs) from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The as-synthesized CDs showed emission peaks at 450, 520 and 560 nm for blue, green and yellow color CDs when excited at 370, 420 and 460 nm, respectively. Using tomato as a carbon source, the fabricated three fluorescent color CDs showed good water dispersity and high quantum yield. The analytical performances of three fluorescent color CDs are evaluated by detecting Fe3+ ion in biofluids and iron tablets. Upon the addition of Fe3+ ion under optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of three fluorescent color CDs was quenched linearly over the range of 0.1 to 2.0 μM. This method opens a new analytical strategy to quantify Fe3+ ion in iron tablets and biofluids with high sensitivity. Further, the uptake of three fluorescent color CDs into HeLa cells was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Intracellular experiments demonstrated that the three fluorescent color CDs were effectively internalized the cells and show excellent biocompatibility and low toxicity, suggesting that the CDs can be used as good candidates for biomedical applications. Schematic representation for the preparation of blue, green and yellow color carbon dots using Solanum lycopersicum fruits. Evaluation of their analytical applications for sending of Fe3+ ion and imaging of HeLa cells. [Display omitted] •Blue-, green- and yellow-color fluorescent CDs were derived from tomato.•Analytical performances of three CDs were evaluated for assaying Fe3+ ions.•The present method exhibits low limit of detection up to 0.016 μM.•Fe3+ ion was quantified in iron supplements and biofluids.