One-Pot Microwave Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbogenic Nanoparticles from Triton X-100 for Cell Imaging

Carbon-based fluorescent nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention in the field of bioimaging as a result of their excellent emission properties along with their low toxicity. Fluorescent carbogenic nanoparticles (CNPs) were synthesized by a one-pot microwave pyrolysis technique by using Triton X-100 as a carbon source. The CNPs are spherical in shape with an average diameter of 5.5 nm, as characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The as-synthesized CNPs showed strong blue emission under UV illumination, excitation-dependent emission properties, and chemical stability under different pH conditions. The graphitic nature of the CNPs was studied by using Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the toxicity of these particles was studied through an MTT assay, which showed no noticeable toxicity. The results suggest that the CNPs can be used as effective fluorescent probes for cellular imaging applications.