Abstract
Antibiotic resistance development in bacteria is an ever-increasing global health concern as new resistant strains and/or resistance mechanisms emerge each day, out-pacing the discovery of novel antibiotics. Increasingly, research focuses on alternate techniques, such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) or photocatalytic disinfection, to combat pathogens even before infection occurs. Small molecule “photosensitizers” have been developed to date for this application, using light energy to inflict damage and death on nearby pathogens via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These molecular agents are frequently limited in widespread application by synthetic expense and complexity. Carbon dots, or fluorescent, quasi-spherical nanoparticle structures, provide an inexpensive and “green” solution for a new class of APDT photosensitizers. To date, reviews have examined the overall antimicrobial properties of carbon dot structures. Herein we provide a focused review on the recent progress for carbon nanodots in photodynamic disinfection, highlighting select studies of carbon dots as intrinsic photosensitizers, structural tuning strategies for optimization, and their use in hybrid disinfection systems and materials. Limitations and challenges are also discussed, and contemporary experimental strategies presented. This review provides a focused foundation for which APDT using carbon dots may be expanded in future research, ultimately on a global scale.
Highlights
IntroductionThe threat of antibiotic resistance development in pathogenic bacteria is not a new challenge, it remains to date a pressing concern in regard to global health
Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy and Carbon Nanodots the threat of antibiotic resistance development in pathogenic bacteria is not a new challenge, it remains to date a pressing concern in regard to global health
An additional challenge is the seemingly contrary results reported for different studies in the literature examining the same bacteria; for example, from the data discussed it is clear that E. coli is susceptible to antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) from carbon dots, yet negative results have been reported using E. coli [51]; the same may be said for Samonella [51,55]
Summary
The threat of antibiotic resistance development in pathogenic bacteria is not a new challenge, it remains to date a pressing concern in regard to global health. [11] of bacteria or application: antimicrobial photocatalytic disinfection [12]—presents [12]—presents an intriguing option for a different class of disinfection disinfection materials This is of particular importance since ROS are by nature highly reactive; to prevent off-target interactions, the species must be generated locally to the cell of interest Beyond these properties, an ideal APDT photosensitizer would have a dynamic scaffold structure that would permit facile adaptation for multi-modal purposes. Carbon nanodots have received increasing attention for use as a nanoparticulate photosensitizer for APDT and photocatalytic disinfection These fluorescent nanoparticles are known to be a combustion byproduct and/or the product of incomplete carbonization from biomass, resulting in quasi-spherical, fluorescent particles less than 10 nm in size with broad-spectrum absorption profiles. Other recent reviews have focused on carbon nanodots in general as antimicrobial agents [29,30,31,32]; we present and discuss recent developments surrounding the application of carbon nanodots in antimicrobial photodynamic therapy
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