Fluorescent Nanoparticles Research Articles

A sensitive sensing system based on fluorescence dipeptide nanoparticles for sulfadimethoxine determination

Various types of fluorescent nanoparticles have been proposed for the detection of veterinary drug residues in food. However, structure-induced fluorescence nanoparticles with biodegradability and the capacity to conjugate with molecular recognition elements are lacking. Here, a biodegradable tryptophan-phenylalanine dipeptide-based nanomaterial was assembled and modified with a sulfadimethoxine aptamer (TPNPs@aptamer). Then, a novel and efficient fluorescence sensing strategy, based on TPNPs@aptamer and BHQ1-labeled single-stranded DNA (BHQ1@cDNA), was developed for sulfadimethoxine determination. Under optimal conditions, the fluorescence was linear in the range of 0–200 ng/mL sulfadimethoxine with a detection limit of 1.47 ng/mL (S/N = 3). Satisfactory recoveries of standard additions were found between 92.88 % and 114.15 % for water and milk samples with a relative standard deviation less than 5.0 %, suggesting that the proposed fluorescence sensing strategy can be applied reliably in sulfadimethoxine analysis of liquid foods.

Fluorescent Multifunctional Organic Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Bioimaging: A Tutorial Review.

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) are a large family of nanostructures constituted by organic components that emit light in different spectral regions upon excitation, due to the presence of organic fluorophores. FONs are of great interest for numerous biological and medical applications, due to their high tunability in terms of composition, morphology, surface functionalization, and optical properties. Multifunctional FONs combine several functionalities in a single nanostructure (emission of light, carriers for drug-delivery, functionalization with targeting ligands, etc.), opening the possibility of using the same nanoparticle for diagnosis and therapy. The preparation, characterization, and application of these multifunctional FONs require a multidisciplinary approach. In this review, we present FONs following a tutorial approach, with the aim of providing a general overview of the different aspects of the design, preparation, and characterization of FONs. The review encompasses the most common FONs developed to date, the description of the most important features of fluorophores that determine the optical properties of FONs, an overview of the preparation methods and of the optical characterization techniques, and the description of the theoretical approaches that are currently adopted for modeling FONs. The last part of the review is devoted to a non-exhaustive selection of some recent biomedical applications of FONs.

DDEL-17. POOLED CANCER CELL SCREENING IDENTIFIES GENOMIC DETERMINANTS OF NANOPARTICLE DELIVERY TO CANCER CELLS: SUB ANALYSIS OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMOR CELL LINES

Abstract Background There is great interest in utilizing nanoparticles to improve drug delivery to central nervous system (CNS) tumors, but the biologic features underlying successful delivery at the tumor site are not known. METHODS We developed a pooled screening assay to investigate cellular features predictive of nanoparticle delivery and screened 35 fluorescent nanoparticle formulations against 488 pooled cancer cell lines with DNA barcodes. The nanoparticle library was comprised of nonlethal liposomal or polymeric cores with varied surface functionality, including natural and synthetic polymers. Cells were profiled using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and barcodes sequenced and deconvolved to generate an association score for each nanoparticle-cell line pair. RESULTS Of 488 cancer cell lines, 22 cancer cell lineages (tissues of origin) were included. There were 35 cell lines derived from CNS tumors; of these 22 were classified as astrocytoma or glioblastoma, one as oligodendroglioma, and 2 as medulloblastoma. Of CNS tumor cell lines, 40% were from female patients and average age at cell line derivation was 52 years; TP53 hotspot mutations were detected in 25/35 lines, PTEN hotspot mutations in 15/25 lines. Using unsupervised hierarchical clustering by nanoparticle association profiles, CNS tumor lines did not cluster together by lineage, subtype, or mutation status but rather by baseline expression of genes involved in nanocarrier trafficking. Nanoparticle association profiles were heterogeneous among the CNS tumor lines for most formulations, though CNS tumor lines had high association with polystyrene formulations with respect to other lineages. Select CNS tumor lines had high uptake of liposomes coated with the natural polymers fucoidan, alginate, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate; these trends were further probed in a non-pooled screen of 5 additional cell lines. Conclusions Uptake of liposomal and polymeric nanoparticles is heterogeneous across CNS tumor lines, but can be predicted using baseline gene expression.

Synthesis of a polymerizable aggregation-induced emission (AIE) dye with A-D structure based on benzothiadiazole for fluorescent nanoparticles and its application in bioimaging

In recent years, fluorescent materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have been receiving widespread attention in diverse fields due to their unique characteristics. In this work, a novel AIE fluorescent dye TTPA with electron acceptor–donor (A-D) structure were fabricated through Suzuki coupling and Knoevenagel condensation reaction using benzothiazole (BTA) and 4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl) benzaldehyde (TPB) as main components, and its maximum emission wavelength was about at 524 nm, otherwise, on the basis of the quantum calculations, the energy difference ΔE between HOMO and LUMO of TPB and TTPA were about 3.63 eV and 2.81 eV, respectively. The obtained TTPA dye with AIE feature could emit fluorescence in THF owing to the electron A-D structure and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect. Subsequently, the amphiphilic fluorescent copolymers PEG-PA were synthesized through the RAFT polymerization of TTPA and PEGMA with various feeding ratios. The molecular weight (MW) and molecular weight distribution (Ð) of PEG-PA1 were about 1.8 × 104 and 1.30, respectively. According to the 1H NMR spectra, the molar proportion of TTPA in PEG-PA increased from 18.5 % to 26.6 % when the proportion of TTPA in the reactants increased from 20.0 % to 25.0 %. Moreover, the as-prepared PEG-PA copolymers would self-assemble into nanoparticles with 150–200 nm diameter in a water solution due to their amphiphilic property, which exhibited the prospective bioimaging application with many advantages such as hypotoxicity, good biocompatibility, and excellent cells penetration.

Multidimensional Quantitative Measurement of Cancer Chemoresistance through Differential ZIF-8 Nanoparticle Cellular Retention.

Chemoresistance of cancer cells is conventionally quantified by half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) or multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) values, but these metrics can only reflect the overall drug resistance level of a cancer cell line. Meanwhile, the multidimensional evaluation of both the heterogeneity in a cell line and the drug resistance degree of each cell still presents a daunting challenge. We report here that the cellular heterogeneity, cellular cross contamination, and the proportion of chemoresistant cancer cells can be visualized via flow cytometry through the differential cellular retention of fluorescent ZIF-8 nanoparticles. In addition, we show that the degree of drug resistance exhibited by each cell subpopulation can be quantified by differing fluorescence of the drug-resistant and drug-sensitive cells in the corresponding flow cytometry profile, and the quantified metric S is highly consistent with the MDR1 expression results. Importantly, this novel strategy is applicable to various cancer cell lines, thus demonstrating a universal diagnosis platform for multidimensional, quantitative, and highly efficient diagnosis of cancer chemoresistance.

Facile synthesis of fluorescent mesoporous nanocarriers with pH-sensitive controlled release of naturally derived dieckol

Dieckol is a marine polyphenol found in the brown algae Ecklonia cava and has been actively studied because it has various biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. Herein, fluorescent mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FMSNs) were synthesized for the efficient delivery of naturally derived Die molecules. The Die-loaded FMSNs (FMSNs-Die) were further coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, termed as FMSNs-Die@PEG and FMSNs-Die@PEG@GO, respectively. The release kinetics was investigated using Fickian-type exponential and Kosmeyer-Peppas relaxation models. Overall, the FMSN-based nanocarriers exhibited a faster release at pH 4.5 than at pH 7.4. The release rate at pH 7.4 decreased in the following order: FMSNs-Die > FMSNs-Die@PEG > FMSNs-Die@PEG@GO. In contrast, the release rate at pH 4.5 exhibited a somewhat different order of FMSNs-Die@PEG ≥ FMSNs-Die > FMSNs-Die@PEG@GO. Notably, the difference of the release rates at these pH values was most pronounced for the PEG-coated FMSNs, signifying the strong pH-responsive release behavior of Die molecules. Within the pH ranges (pH 4.5 – 7.4), double-layer-coated FMSNs exhibited the significantly delayed release rates as compared to coating-free and single-layer-coated analogs. Our nanocarriers demonstrated pH-sensitive controlled release of Die, suggesting as a smart drug delivery system for natural product-derived drugs.

Hyaluronic Acid Modified Au@SiO2@Au Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy of Genitourinary Tumors.

Bladder cancer and prostate cancer are the most common malignant tumors of the genitourinary system. Conventional strategies still face great challenges of high recurrence rate and severe trauma. Therefore, minimally invasive photothermal therapy (PTT) has been extensively explored to address these challenges. Herein, fluorescent Au nanoparticles (NPs) were first prepared using glutathione as template, which were then capped with SiO2 shell to improve the biocompatibility. Next, Au nanoclusters were deposited on the NPs surface to obtain Au@SiO2@Au NPs for photothermal conversion. The gaps between Au nanoparticles on their surface could enhance their photothermal conversion efficiency. Finally, hyaluronic acid (HA), which targets cancer cells overexpressing CD44 receptors, was attached on the NPs surface via 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) chemistry to improve the accumulation of NPs in tumor tissues. Photothermal experiments showed that NPs with an average size of 37.5 nm have a high photothermal conversion efficiency (47.6%) and excellent photostability, thus exhibiting potential application as a PTT agent. The temperature of the NPs (100 μg·mL-1) could rapidly increase to 38.5 °C within 200 s and reach the peak of 57.6 °C with the laser power density of 1.5 W·cm-2 and irradiation time of 600 s. In vivo and in vitro PTT experiments showed that the NPs have high biocompatibility and excellent targeted photothermal ablation capability of cancer cells. Both bladder and prostate tumors disappeared at 15 and 18 d post-treatment with HA-Au@SiO2@Au NPs, respectively, and did not recur. In summary, HA-Au@SiO2@Au NPs can be used a powerful PTT agent for minimally invasive treatment of genitourinary tumors.

Water-borne, durable and multicolor silicon nanoparticles/sodium alginate inks for anticounterfeiting applications

Recently, water-borne fluorescent inks have attracted extensive attention in anti-counterfeiting applications due to their convenient implementation and eco-friendliness. However, due to poor service durability, the latent authorization information from the inks is easily damaged, and even disappears when encountering water. Moreover, most of the existing fluorescent inks are monochromic, toxic, and allergic to skin, thus are unsuitable for their sustainability during real-life applications. Herein, this work presents environment-friendly, durable, and multicolor fluorescent anti-counterfeiting silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs)/sodium alginate (SA) inks. The multicolor SiNPs are synthesized by a one-pot method with defined morphologies and optical properties. Subsequently, SA is employed as the binder to prepare the fluorescent inks with optimized rheological properties. Practicability results show that the SiNPs/SA inks not only exhibit excellent printability, but also impart authentic information with superior covert performance. More notably, spraying solution of calcium dichloride can further improve fluorescent fastnesses of the SiNPs/SA inks by ionic crosslinking.

Carbon Nanoparticles Extracted from Date Palm Fronds for Fluorescence Bioimaging: In Vitro Study.

Numerous studies have been reported on single- and multicolored highly fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (FCNPs) originating from various sources and their potential applications in bioimaging. Herein, multicolored biocompatible carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) unsheathed from date palm fronds were studied. The extracted CNPs were characterized via several microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The results revealed that the CNPs were crystalline graphitic and hydrophilic in nature with sizes ranging from 4 to 20 nm. The unsheathed CNPs showed exemplary photoluminescent (PL) properties. They also emitted bright blue colors when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Furthermore, in vitro cellular uptake and cell viability in the presence of CNPs were also investigated. The cell viability of human colon cancer (HCT-116) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines with aqueous CNPs at different concentrations was assessed by a cell metabolic activity assay (MTT) for 24 and 48 h incubations. The results were combined to generate dose-response curves for the CNPs and evaluate the severity of their toxicity. The CNPs showed adequate fluorescence with high cell viability for in vitro cell imaging. Under the laser-scanning confocal microscope, the CNPs with HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines showed multicolor fluorescence emissions, including blue, green, and red colors when excited at 405, 458, and 561 nm, respectively. These results prove that unsheathed CNPs from date palm fronds can be used in diverse biomedical applications because of their low cytotoxicity, adequate fluorescence, eco-friendly nature, and cheap production.

Facile synthesis of ultrabright luminogens with specific lipid droplets targeting feature for in vivo two-photon fluorescence retina imaging

The application of fluorescent probes for in vivo retinal imaging is of great importance, which could provide direct and crucial imaging evidence for a better understanding of common eye diseases. Herein, a group of bright organic luminogens with typical electron-donating (D) and electron-accepting (A) structures (abbreviated as LDs-BDM, LDs-BTM, and LDs-BHM) was synthesized through a simple single-step reaction. They were found to be efficient solid-state emitters with high fluorescence quantum yields of above 70% (e.g., 83.7% for LDs-BTM). Their light-emission properties could be tuned by the modulation of π-conjugation effect with methoxy groups at different substituent positions. Their resulting fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) were demonstrated as specific lipid droplets (LDs) targeting probes with high brightness, good biocompatibility, and satisfactory photostability. LDs-BTM NPs with a large two-photon absorption cross section (σ2 = 249 GM) were further utilized as ultrabright two-photon fluorescence (2PF) nanoprobes for in vivo retina imaging of live zebrafish by NIR excitation at an ultralow concentration (0.5 µmol/L). Integrated histological structures at the tissue level and corresponding fine details at the cellular level of the embryonic retina of live zebrafish were clearly demonstrated. This is the first report of using ultrabright LDs-targeting nanoprobes to accurately measure fine details in the retina with 2PF microscopic technique. These good results are anticipated to open up a new avenue in the development of efficient 2PF emitters for non-invasive bioimaging of living animals.

Carbon nanodots calibrated fluorescent probe of QD@amphiphilic polyurethane for ratiometric detection of Hg (II)

Because of its strong toxicity to the ecosystem and human beings, mercury is regarded as one of the most hazardous heavy metals. Among various fluorescent sensors that have been designed for Hg (II) detection, the probes showing Hg (II) concentration dependent ratiometric fluorescent responses normally exhibited improved analytical performance. Herein, we have synthesized series of amphiphilic polyurethane (PU) to encapsulate hydrophobic fluorescent quantum dots (QD) via the emulsion confinement self-assembly, leading to generation of QD@PU colloids whose red emission can be selectively quenched by Hg (II) among other metal ions. In order to further improve the Hg (II) detection performance of QD@PU probe, the green emitting carbon nanodots (CD) were synthesized and conjugated with QD@PU, resulting to formation of CD-QD@PU colloidal probe showing ratiometric fluorescent response towards Hg (II), which finally contributed to an enhanced sensitivity and wider linear range for Hg (II) detection. More interestingly, both QD@PU and CD-QD@PU doped stretchable PU membranes still hold naked eye discrimination for Hg (II). Basically, the current work revealed a universal protocol to prepare fluorescent probe for Hg (II) detection using PU and low dimensional fluorescent nanoparticles as building blocks, which will open new way for design and fabrication of other advanced sensors and analytical devices. • An amphiphilic block copolymer of polyurethane (PU) were synthesized. • PU was used to encapsulate fluorescent quantum dots (QD) to obtain QD@PU colloids. • The fluorescence of QD@PU colloids can be selectively quenched by Hg (II). • Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanodots (CD) was synthesized. • The CD-QD@PU probe allows specific detection of Hg (II) down to 10.5 nM.

Flash Nanoprecipitation Offers Large‐Format Full‐Color and Dual‐Mode Fluorescence Patterns for Codes‐in‐Code Encryption and Anti‐Counterfeiting

Codes-in-Code Encryption and Anti-Counterfeiting In article number 2200091, Huanhuan Feng and co-workers demonstrate a universal procedure for fast-fabricating large-scale fluorescent nanoparticles to construct cutting-edge-level encryption in anti-counterfeiting via flash nanoprecipitation. These inkjet patterns offer the benefits of large-format, customizable, and full-color. This procedure also enables high-security dual-mode encryption, which improves fluorescent materials’ security in anti-counterfeiting.

Turning fluorescent silica nanoparticles for the removal and detection of 4-nitrophenol

Turning fluorescent silica nanoparticles for the removal and detection of 4-nitrophenol

3-Mercaptopropyl Trimethoxysilane @ Gadolinium Oxide Nanoprobes: An Effective Fluorescence-Sensing Platform for Cysteine

The current work aims to synthesize highly fluorescent and surface-functionalized gadolinium oxide nanoparticles (Gd2O3 NPs) with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The surface modification of Gd2O3 nanoparticles with MPTMS enhanced the stability and solubility of the nanoprobe in aqueous media. The size of the nanoprobe was controlled to 7 ± 1 nm using MPTMS coating. These valued points made the MPTMS@Gd2O3 nanoparticles as economical, highly sensitive, selective nanoprobe with a quick response time for the detection of cysteine via the simple fluorescence-based methodology. The proposed strategy has offered the reliable detection of cysteine in the concentration range of 1–100 µm with a detection limit of 42 nm. The selective sensing of cysteine in human serum has jointly acknowledged the potential prospect of developing sensors in body fluids with great accuracy.

Fluorescent silicon nanoparticle-based quantitative hemin assay.

Hemin with functions such as oxygen carrying, oxygen storing, promoting redox, and performing electron transfer is important for the health of organisms. In this paper, green synthetic silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) were synthesized and used for free hemin detection in serum (a low limit of detection (LOD), 29.5 nM). The quenching mechanism was investigated by UV-vis absorption spectra, time-resolved luminescence decay curve, and circular dichroism (CD) spectra. It was confirmed that multiple redox centers of hemin led to intensified effective collision and increased the electron transfer rate, therefore enhancing the dynamic quenching, and it was undeniable that the inner filter effect (IFE) also played a role in the quenching.

One-pot room-temperature direct synthesis of bovine serum albumin-based fluorescent carbon nanoparticles

Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (FC-NPs) with a mean size of 5.5 nm were fabricated at room temperature by means of a novel one-pot direct synthesis method, using bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a biomass-based precursor, and glutaraldehyde in a mixture of water/ethanol (1:4 v/v) under alkali conditions. This novel method shortens the times of synthesis and purification of the nanoparticles, and does not require thermal energy, since no calcination is needed for the nanoparticles production, and the waste of reactants and solvents is minor. The FC-NPs displayed two emission peaks: one around 450 nm, and the second at 555 nm, being the later the most intense for wavelength excitations from 450 nm; fluorescence quantum yields values varied from 11.6 to 27 %, depending on their synthesis conditions, and in fact, the solutions emit a strong green-yellow fluorescence when excited with 532 nm. The FTIR spectra indicated that the main functional groups present were -NH2 and -COOH. XPS analysis confirmed the FTIR results and showed that carbon dots were composed mainly of C, N, O and Na. Finally, we tested the fluorescent carbon nanoparticles as cell biomarkers in human, plant cell lines and microbial cultures, achieving good results for this application.

Towards the Standardization of Intestinal In Vitro Advanced Barrier Model for Nanoparticles Uptake and Crossing: The SiO2 Case Study.

Increasing interest is being addressed to the development of a reliable, reproducible and relevant in vitro model of intestinal barrier, mainly for engineered nanomaterials hazard and risk assessment, in order to meet regulatory and scientific demands. Starting from the consolidated Caco-2 cell model, widely used for determining translocation of drugs and chemicals, the establishment of an advanced intestinal barrier model with different level of complexity is important for overcoming Caco-2 monoculture limitations. For this purpose, a tri-culture model, consisting of two human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT29-MTX) and a human lymphocyte B cell (Raji B), was developed by several research groups to mimic the in vivo intestinal epithelium, furnishing appropriate tools for nanotoxicological studies. However, tri-culture model shows high levels of variability in ENM uptake/translocation studies. With the aim of implementing the standardization and optimization of this tri-culture for ENM translocation studies, the present paper intends to identify and discuss such relevant parameters involved in model establishment as: tri-culture condition set-up, barrier integrity evaluation, mucus characterization, M-cell induction. SiO2 fluorescent nanoparticles were used to compare the different models. Although a low level of SiO2 translocation is reported for all the different culture conditions. a relevant role of mucus and M-cells in NPs uptake/translocation has been highlighted.

An ultrasensitive NIR-IIa’ fluorescence-based multiplex immunochromatographic strip test platform for antibiotic residues detection in milk samples

IntroductionWidely used in livestock breeding, residues of antibiotic drugs in milk have become a threat to food safety and human health. Current rapid detection technologies using colorimetric immunochromatographic strip tests (IST) lack the necessary sensitivity for on-site trace monitoring. Fluorescence-based detection in the near-infrared IIa’ (NIR-IIa’) region (1000 ∼ 1300 nm) has enormous potential due to greatly minimized auto-fluorescence and light scattering. ObjectivesThe aim of this work is to develop an ultrasensitive IST platform using NIR-IIa’ fluorescent nanoparticles as labels for multiplex antibiotic residues detection in milk. MethodsNIR-IIa’ fluorescent nanoparticles were assembled by encapsulating synthesized NIR-IIa’ fluorophores into carboxyl - modified polystyrene nanoparticles. The NIR-IIa’ nanoparticles were subsequently used as labels in an IST platform to detect sulfonamides, quinolones, and lincomycin simultaneously in milk. A portable fluorescent reader was fabricated to provide on-site detection. To further validate the developed IST platform, the detection was compared with LC-MS/MS in 22 real milk samples. ResultsFluorescent nanoparticles were synthesized with low energy emission (1030 nm) and large Stokes shift (>250 nm) showing a much higher signal-to-noise ratio compared with fluorophores emitting in the NIR-I region. The developed IST platform yielded a highly sensitive, simultaneous quantification of sulfonamides, quinolones, and lincomycin in milk with detection limits of 46.7, 27.6 and 51.4 pg/mL, respectively, achieving a wide detection range (up to 50 ng/mL). The IST platform showed good accuracy, reproducibility, and specificity with the portable fluorescent reader which could rapidly quantify in 10 s. These results were better than reported immunochromatographic assays using fluorescent labels, and remarkably, showed a higher recognition ability than LC-MS/MS for real samples. ConclusionThe utility of NIR-IIa’ fluorescence-based IST platform for the fast, sensitive, and accurate detection of antibiotics in milk was demonstrated, successfully verifying the potential of this platform in detecting trace materials in complex matrices.

Tetrapeptide self-assembled multicolor fluorescent nanoparticles for bioimaging applications

The biocompatibility and biodegradability of peptide self-assembled materials makes them suitable for many biological applications, such as targeted drug delivery, bioimaging, and tracking of therapeutic agents. According to our previous research, self-assembled fluorescent peptide nanoparticles can overcome the intrinsic optical properties of peptides. However, monochromatic fluorescent nanomaterials have many limitations as luminescent agents in biomedical applications. Therefore, combining different fluorescent species into one nanostructure to prepare fluorescent nanoparticles with multiple emission wavelengths has become a very attractive research area in the bioimaging field. In this study, the tetrapeptide Trp-Trp-Trp-Trp (WWWW) was self-assembled into multicolor fluorescent nanoparticles (TPNPs). The results have demonstrated that TPNPs have the blue, green, red and near infrared (NIR) fluorescence emission wavelength. Moreover, TPNPs have shown excellent performance in multicolor bioimaging, biocompatibility, and photostability. The facile preparation and multicolor fluorescence features make TPNPs potentially useful in multiplex bioanalysis and diagnostics.

Development of Red-Emissive Porphyrin Graphene Quantum Dots (PGQDs) for Biological Cell-Labeling Applications.

Red and near-infrared emission is a highly desirable feature for fluorescent nanoparticles in biological applications mainly due to longer wavelengths more easily being able to deeply penetrate tissues, organs, skin, and other organic components, while less autofluorescence interference would be produced. Additionally, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) that contain unique optical and electrical features have been targeted for their use in cell labeling applications as well as environmental analysis. Their most desirable features come in the form of low toxicity and biocompatibility; however, GQDs are frequently reported to have blue or green emission light and not the more advantageous red/NIR emission light. Furthermore, porphyrins are a subgroup of heterocyclic macrocycle organic compounds that are also naturally occurring pigments in nature that already contain the desired red-emission fluorescence. Therefore, porphyrins have been used previously to synthesize nanomaterials and for nanoparticle doping in order to incorporate the red/NIR emission light property into particles that otherwise do not contain the desired emission light. Meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP) is one type of porphyrin with a large conjugated π-electron system and four carboxyl groups on its exterior benzene rings. These two key characteristics of TCPP make it ideal for incorporation into GQDs, as it would design and synthesize red-emissive material as well as give rise to excellent water solubility. In this work, TCPP is used in tangent with cis-cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid (CBDA-2), a biomass derived organic molecule, to synthesize "green" porphyrin-based graphene quantum dots (PGQDs) with red-emission. The obtained PGQDs were characterized by various analytical methods. Utilizing TEM, HRTEM, and DLS the size distribution of the particles was determined to be 7.9 ± 4.1, well within the quantum dot range of 2-10 nm. FT-IR, XPS, and XRD depicted carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as the main elemental components with carbon being in the form of graphene and the main porphyrin ring of TCPP remaining present in the final PGQDs product. Lastly, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy determined the excitation wavelength at 420 nm and the emission at 650 nm which was successfully utilized in the imaging of HeLa cells using confocal microscopy.