Light‐Active Carbon Nanodots from Autoclaved Bioresources

Abstract

AbstractThe preparation of carbon nanodots (CNDs) from living organisms can be expected to incur lower energy costs than existing CND synthesis methods. Here, water‐soluble and well‐dispersed fluorescent CNDs with high biocompatibility were synthesized from a variety of biological resources, i. e., arthropods and biomolecules, via a simple single‐step hydrothermal treatment. The as‐prepared CNDs exhibited a blue fluorescence, with a quantum yield of up to 1.5 %. Additionally, we discovered that synthesized CNDs can be transformed into carbon‐nanosheet structures through exposure to low‐intensity laser irradiation. High thermal energy is also generated. We further explored the use of CNDs with this powerful photothermal property as novel exothermic nanomaterials for the elimination of cancer cells. This new type of light‐active CND has considerable promise as regards the development of a variety of biological applications.