Photoactivatable carbon dots as a label-free fluorescent probe for picric acid detection and light-induced bacterial inactivation

The zero-dimensional carbon nanostructure known as carbon dots showed attractive attributes such as multicolour emission, very high quantum yield, up-conversion, very good aqueous solubility, eco-friendliness, and excellent biocompatibility. These outstanding features of the carbon dots have raised significant interest among the research community worldwide. In the current work, water-soluble nitrogen, silver, and gold co-doped bimetallic carbon dots (BCDs) were prepared using the one-pot hydrothermal method with citric acid as a sole carbon source. As prepared BCDs showed size in the range of 4-8 nm and excitation-independent emission behaviour with maximum emission observed at 427 nm. Additionally, these BCDs showed a very high quantum yield value of 50% and fluorescence lifetime value of 10.1 ns respectively. Interestingly, as prepared BCDs selectively sense picric acid (PA) by exhibiting selective fluorescence turn-off behaviour in the presence of PA with a limit of detection value (LOD) of 46 nM. Further, as prepared BCDs were explored for photodynamic therapy to inactivate bacterial growth in the presence of light (400-700 nm) by generating singlet oxygen. Thus as prepared BCDs offer lots of potentials to use a nanoprobe to detect picric acid in an aqueous medium and to design next-generation antibacterial materials.

Automated summary

In this study, water-soluble nitrogen, silver, and gold co-doped bimetallic carbon dots (BCDs) were successfully prepared using the one-pot hydrothermal method. The obtained BCDs exhibited excellent emission properties and high quantum yield, showing potential applications in picric acid detection and photodynamic therapy.