Single, Double, and Multiple-Heteroatoms Doped Carbon Quantum Dots as Effective Light-Induced Antimicrobial Materials

Single-, dual-, and multi-heteroatoms such as N, S, and B-doped carbon quantum dots (CQ-dots) were prepared to determine their dopant effects on anti-pathogenic activities. The CQ-dots were prepared using maleic acid (MA), poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm), cysteine (Cys), and boric acid (BA) as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and boron sources, respectively. In 345-415 nm emission wavelength range, 45.9 ± 2.4% quantum yield for dual heteroatom-doped (N/B-doped) CQ-dots were attained. Antimicrobial studies revealed that N-doped CQ-dots have significant antimicrobial susceptibility to both bacteria and fungi. The zeta potential value of N-doped CQDs had -4.9 mV was changed to -9.2 and -11.5 mV upon N/S- and N/B-doping, respectively. N/B-doped CQ-dots afforded the highest antibacterial activity providing a 1.56 mg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value against Escherichia coli, whereas N/S-doped CQ-dots had the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans yeast, 0.37 mg/mL MIC values. The photodynamic antimicrobial studies of N-, N/S-, N/B-, and N/S/B-doped CQ-dots significantly eradicated the bacteria and fungus colony upon UV-A light exposure for 30 min, with > 50% microbial colonial inhibitions. Both N and N/S-doped CQ-dots exhibit higher biofilm eradication/inhibition efficacy on Candida albicans biofilm, and all CQ-dots are biocompatible according to blood compatibility and cytotoxicity analysis at 1000 μg/mL.