A review of graphene quantum dots and their potential biomedical applications

Today, nanobiotechnology is a pioneering technology in biomedicine. Every day, new nanomaterials are synthesized with elevated physiochemical properties for better diagnosis and treatment of diseases. One advancing class of materials is the Graphene family. Among different kinds of graphene derivatives, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) show fantastic optical, electrical, and electrochemical features originating from their unique quantum confinement effect. Due to the distinct properties of GQD, including large surface-to-volume ratio, low cytotoxicity, and easy functionalization, this nanomaterial has gone popular in biomedical field. Herein, a short overview of different strategies developed for GQD synthesis and functionalization is discussed. In the following, the most recent progress of GQD based nanomaterials in different biomedical fields, including bio-imaging, drug/gene delivery, antimicrobial, tissue engineering, and biosensors, are reviewed.