One pot synthesis of highly luminescent polyethylene glycol anchored carbon dots functionalized with a nuclear localization signal peptide for cell nucleus imaging. Issue 14 (16th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Lei; Jiang, Weihua; Qiu, Lipeng; Jiang, Xuewei; Zuo, Daiying; Wang, Dongkai; Yang, Li
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 7:Issue 14(2015)
• Page Start: 6104
• Page End: 6113
• Publication Date: 2015-03-16
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01080b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A facile one step synthesis of polyethylene glycol anchored carbon dots with a high quantum yield of 75.8% and modified with a NLS peptide for nucleus imaging is reported. Abstract : Strong blue fluorescent polyethylene glycol (PEG) anchored carbon nitride dots (CDs@PEG) with a high quantum yield (QY) of 75.8% have been synthesized by a one step hydrothermal treatment. CDs with a diameter of ca. 6 nm are well dispersed in water and present a graphite-like structure. Photoluminescence (PL) studies reveal that CDs display excitation-dependent behavior and are stable under various test conditions. Based on the as-prepared CDs, we designed novel cell nucleus targeting imaging carbon dots functionalized with a nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptide. The favourable biocompatibilities of CDs and NLS modified CDs (NLS-CDs) are confirmed by in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Importantly, intracellular localization experiments in MCF7 and A549 cells demonstrate that NLS-CDs could be internalized in the nucleus and show blue light, which indicates that CDs may serve as cell nucleus imaging probes.