Graphene quantum dots with nitrogen-doped content dependence for highly efficient dual-modality photodynamic antimicrobial therapy and bioimaging

Publication date: March 2017
Source:Biomaterials, Volume 120
Author(s): Wen-Shuo Kuo, Hua-Han Chen, Shih-Yao Chen, Chia-Yuan Chang, Pei-Chi Chen, Yung-I Hou, Yu-Ting Shao, Hui-Fang Kao, Chih-Li Lilian Hsu, Yi-Chun Chen, Shean-Jen Chen, Shang-Rung Wu, Jiu-Yao Wang
Reactive oxygen species is the main contributor to photodynamic therapy. The results of this study show that a nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dot, serving as a photosensitizer, was capable of generating a higher amount of reactive oxygen species than a nitrogen-free graphene quantum dot in photodynamic therapy when photoexcited for only 3 min of 670 nm laser exposure (0.1 W cm^-2), indicating highly improved antimicrobial effects. In addition, we found that higher nitrogen-bonding compositions of graphene quantum dots more efficiently performed photodynamic therapy actions than did the lower compositions that underwent identical treatments. Furthermore, the intrinsically emitted luminescence from nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots and high photostability simultaneously enabled it to act as a promising contrast probe for tracking and localizing bacteria in biomedical imaging. Thus, the dual modality of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots presents possibilities for future clinical applications, and in particular multidrug resistant bacteria.



http://ift.tt/2hW9jxX