Multi-functional fluorescent carbon dots with antibacterial and gene delivery properties

Glucose is abundant in nature and can be found in various sources. In this study, we developed multifunctional carbon dots (CDs) with glucose and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), which were further quaternized using a facile approach. The CDs are designed to possess both antibacteria and gene delivery capabilities. The inherent property was characterized with TEM, NMR, FTIR and fluorescent spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity was evaluated with Broth minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The CDs showed excellent inhibitation to both bacteria. The expression of CDs condensed plasmid DNA in HEK 293T cells was investigated with luciferase expression assay. Gene transfection capability of the quaternized CDs was found to be up to 104 times efficient than naked DNA delivery.