Carbon Dots Synthesized from Cinchona Pubescens Vahl. An Efficient Antibacterial Nanomaterial and Bacterial Detector.

Abstract

AbstractCarbon dots (CDs) synthesized using Cinchona pubescens Vahl from the hydrothermal method displayed blue emission radiation, pH dependency, homogeneous sizes, colloidal stability in water, and antibacterial features. They consist of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide, attributed to the antioxidant species extracted from the Cinchona pubescens Vahl that simultaneously synthesized and reduced graphene oxide. They reach a bacterial minimal inhibitory concentration of 62.5 μg mL−1 against Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram‐negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, which is better than traditional antibiotics and other CDs obtained from similar natural sources and methods. The photoluminescent CDs were also used to detect bacteria, an essential application in microbiology, biotechnology, medical diagnosis, and food safety, showing the capability of distinguishing between gram‐positive and gram‐negative strains and between dead and alive gram‐positive bacteria. Thus, CDs obtained by green resources represent a promising platform to produce functional antibacterial agents and bacteria detectors.