Facile and green synthesis of amino-functionalized carbon nanodots for biomedical applications

Considering the high interests and concerns in regards to quantum dots (QDs), their properties and applications, this paper presents highly photoluminescent amino-functionalized carbon QDs which were prepared via a simple one-step method developed directly from pine needle. They were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, photoluminescence (PL), UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectra, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscopy. These carbon QDs show strong and stable PL, which is dependent on excitation wavelength. The intense PL under longer excitation wavelength and excellent bioactivities suggest they can be used for biomedical applications due to its high photostability and biocompatibility.