Water Soluble PMPC-Derived Bright Fluorescent Nitrogen/Phosphorous-Doped Carbon Dots for Fluorescent Ink...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile nanomaterials with unique optical and electronic properties.
• Developing efficient and scalable methods for synthesizing functionalized CDs remains a key challenge.
• Polymer-based precursors offer a route to incorporate specific heteroatoms and functionalities into CDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, one-step synthesis of nitrogen/phosphorus-doped carbon dots (P-CDs) from a water-soluble polymer.
• To characterize the structural, optical, and photophysical properties of the synthesized P-CDs.
• To explore the potential applications of P-CDs as fluorescent security ink and in multicolor bioimaging.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal-assisted carbonization of poly 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (PMPC).
• Synthesis of PMPC via free-radical polymerization of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC).
• Comprehensive characterization using FESEM-EDS, HRTEM, XRD, Raman, ATR-FTIR, XPS, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized nitrogen/phosphorus-doped carbon dots (P-CDs) with bright and durable fluorescence.
• P-CDs exhibited excitation-dependent emission, excellent photostability, and a high quantum yield of 23%.
• Demonstrated biocompatibility through cytotoxicity studies, enabling cellular multicolor imaging in nematodes.

Conclusions:

• A facile and efficient method for bulk preparation of polymer-derived carbon dots was established.
• The synthesized P-CDs are promising candidates for advanced fluorescent security inks and bioimaging agents.
• This work highlights the potential of water-soluble polymers as precursors for functional nanomaterials.