Internalized Carbon Dots for Enhanced Extracellular Electron Transfer in the Dark and Light. Issue 44 (12th October 2020) - Liu, Shurui
Abstract: Cellular internalization of nanomaterials to endow cells with more functionalities is highly desirable. Herein, a straightforward strategy for internalizing red‐emission carbon dots (CDs) into Shewanella xiamenensis is proposed. This suggests that the internalized CDs not only afford enhanced conductivity of bacteria but also trigger the cellular physiological response to secrete abundant electron shuttles to aid the boosting of extracellular electron transfer (EET) efficiency. Additionally, once illuminated, internalized CDs can also serve as light absorbers to allow for photogenerated electrons to be transferred into cellular metabolism to further facilitate light‐enhanced EET processes. Specifically, the findings advance the fundamental understanding of the interaction between internalized carbon‐based semiconductor and cells in the dark and light, and provide a facile and effective strategy for enhancing EET efficiency. Abstract : Herein, an intracellular, biocompatible semiconductor (carbon dots (CDs)), to circumvent the sluggish kinetics of electron transfer for existing extracellular electron transfer (EET) is introduced. The internalized CDs not only afford enhanced conductivity of bacteria but also trigger the cellular physiological response to secrete abundant electron shuttles to boost the EET efficiency. Additionally, once illuminated, CDs also serve as a photosensitizer to further accelerate EET.