Hydroxyl functionalized carbon dots with strong radical scavenging ability promote cell proliferation

Bioactivity of carbon dots (CDs) has received much attention, in which, the effects on cell proliferation and viability are more crucial for tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study, we report the fabrication of a biocompatible carbon dots with rich hydroxyl groups (CDs-OH) by a one-step hydrothermal treatment from phloroglucinol and phenol. The as-prepared CDs-OH possess strong fluorescence, excellent photostability and low cytotoxicity. We also show that the CDs-OH could scavenge free radical groups. As free radical scavenger, the CDs-OH is proved to exhibit explicit capability to stimulate cell proliferation, which depends on the hydroxyl groups content in CDs-OH. These properties promise the potential use of CDs-OH in medical fields, especially tissue engineering and regeneration.