Antibacterial Carbon Dots: Mechanisms, Design, and Applications

Abstract

The increase in antibiotic resistance promotes the situation of developing new antibiotics at the forefront, while the development of non‐antibiotic pharmaceuticals is equally significant. In the post‐antibiotic era, nanomaterials with high antibacterial efficiency and no drug resistance make them attractive candidates for antibacterial materials. Carbon dots (CDs), as a kind of carbon‐based zero‐dimensional nanomaterial, are attracting much attention for their multifunctional properties. The abundant surface states, tunable photoexcited states, and excellent photo‐electron transfer properties make sterilization of CDs feasible and are gradually emerging in the antibacterial field. This review provides comprehensive insights into the recent development of CDs in the antibacterial field. The topics include mechanisms, design, and optimization processes, and their potential practical applications are also highlighted, such as treatment of bacterial infections, against bacterial biofilms, antibacterial surfaces, food preservation, and bacteria imaging and detection. Meanwhile, the challenges and outlook of CDs in the antibacterial field are discussed and proposed.

Zero-Dimensional Carbon Nanomaterials for Fluorescent Sensing and Imaging

“…The products obtained from arc-discharge deposition are usually mixtures of differently sized carbon nanostructures. Although arc-discharge deposition is simple, fast, and controllable, the high arc temperature easily leads to sintering and introduces impurities …”

“…Although arc-discharge deposition is simple, fast, and controllable, the high arc temperature easily leads to sintering and introduces impurities. 186 3.4.5.2. Laser Ablation.…”

“…681 The abundance of surface states, tunable photoexcited states, and excellent photoelectron transfer properties make CD sterilization feasible and are gradually appearing in the antimicrobial field. 186 Liu et al used synthetic CDs (LCDs) with effective antibacterial properties by retaining the active group of levofloxacin. The dual inhibition mode based on the positive surface charge and the generation of ROS enabled the LCDs to have a good antibacterial activity without additional stimuli and not harm healthy tissues.…”

“…The abundance of surface states, tunable photoexcited states, and excellent photoelectron transfer properties make CD sterilization feasible and are gradually appearing in the antimicrobial field . Liu et al used synthetic CDs (LCDs) with effective antibacterial properties by retaining the active group of levofloxacin.…”

Recent Progress on Chiral Carbon Dots: Synthetic Strategies and Biomedical Applications

“…Carbon dots (CDs), a novel zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, have been widely used in chemical and biological sensors, − cellular and biological imaging, − drug delivery, − and antimicrobial therapy − for their chemical stability, excellent optical properties, outstanding biocompatibility, and antibacterial ability , since their first discovery in 2004 . With continuous in-depth research in the field of CDs, researchers found that some CDs synthesized with chiral precursors retained the chirality of the precursor, and the concept of chiral carbon dots (Ch-CDs) was proposed.…”