In the News: From Brew to Breakthrough - Turning Spent Coffee Grounds into Cancer-Fighting Carbon Dots


Published in the journal Nanoscale, our latest study reveals an innovative approach to recycling used coffee grounds by converting them into tiny ‘carbon dots’ through mild chemical processes. These nanomaterials were then studied for their unique properties, showing promising potential for future biomedical applications—particularly in targeted drug delivery. The findings suggest that something as ordinary as spent coffee grounds could play an extraordinary role in delivering medications more efficiently and with fewer side effects, offering a sustainable and less invasive alternative in medical treatment. Our research has been gaining widespread interest and has been featured across numerous news outlets, highlighting its potential to turn everyday waste into a powerful tool for advancing healthcare.

Silvia Giordani
Silvia Giordani
Full Professor Chair of Nanomaterials

My research interests are in the design, synthesis, and characterization of hybrid smart nanomaterials for biomedical, energy and environmental applications

Yingru Zhou
Yingru Zhou
PhD Student

PhD Student at the Giordani Group

Sofía Domínguez Gil
Sofía Domínguez Gil
Postdoctoral Researcher

Irish Research Council-funded Postdoctoral Researcher

Michał Bartkowski
Michał Bartkowski
Postdoctoral Researcher

Funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) - Grant ID 2/FFP-A/11067