Dr Sofia Dominguez Gil presented our research on the "Environmentally friendly synthesis of Carbon Dots for cancer therapy" at the 7th BenBedPhar Scientific Meeting in Tallinn

Environmentally Friendly Synthesis of Carbon Dots for Cancer Therapy

Carbon dots, also known as carbon quantum dots or fluorescent carbon nanoparticles, are small-sized, spherical nanomaterials (below 10 nm) presenting amorphous carbon cores (mixed of sp²/sp³) with nanocrystalline regions of graphitic structure (sp² carbon) [1]. They show unique properties such as higher aqueous solubility, robust chemical inertness, non-toxicity, and relatively low-cost manufacturing [2]. However, the efficient resistance to photobleaching and outstanding fluorescence are the most remarkable features compared to more conventional luminescent materials [3].

Here, we present a low-cost and environmentally friendly synthesis of carbon dots using natural resources like coffee grounds. The proposed synthetic route eliminates the use of highly toxic heavy metals and high energy-consuming reaction times, improving biocompatibility and benefiting the environment. These carbon dots were fully characterized by different techniques, showing small-size nanoparticles with tunable fluorescence. Biocompatibility studies on CAL-51 and SKOV-3 cell lines were also conducted showing good viability in both cellular lines. Furthermore, their surface functionalization makes them suitable for a wide range of applications in nanomedicine [4] such as drug delivery shuttles, biosensors, or bioimaging [5].

References

[1] Szczepankowska, J.; Khachatryan, G.; Khachatryan, K.; Krystyjan, M. Carbon Dots - Types, Obtaining and Application in Biotechnology and Food Technology. Int J Mol Sci 2023, 24 (19).

[2] Kurian, M.; Paul, A. Recent Trends in the Use of Green Sources for Carbon Dot Synthesis–A Short Review. Carbon Trends 2021, 3, 100032.

[3] Cui, L.; Ren, X.; Sun, M.; Liu, H.; Xia, L. Carbon Dots: Synthesis, Properties and Applications. Nanomaterials 2021, 11 (12).

[4] Behi, M.; Gholami, L.; Naficy, S.; Palomba, S.; Dehghani, F. Carbon Dots: A Novel Platform for Biomedical Applications. Nanoscale Adv. 2022, 4 (2), 353–376.

[5] Bartkowski, M.; Zhou, Y.; Nabil Amin Mustafa, M.; Eustace, A. J.; Giordani, S. CARBON DOTS: Bioimaging and Anticancer Drug Delivery. Chemistry – A European Journal 2024, 11:e202303982.

Abstract - Link

Book of Abstracts - Link

7th BenBedPhar Scientific meeting - Link