Carbon quantum dots as transcutaneous drug carriers: mechanisms, challenges and prospects

Incorporation of nanoparticles has revolutionized drug delivery by optimizing the targeted transport of drugs, boosting the solubility and stability of pharmaceuticals, and facilitating precise, controlled release. These breakthroughs have made a significant contribution, especially in personalized medicine for many health issues. A variety of nanoparticles, including lipid-based systems, polymeric carriers, dendrimers, metallic nanoparticles, and nanogels, have been employed in drug delivery to improve drug solubility, protect active compounds from degradation, and achieve controlled release. Quantum dots are zero dimensional nanoparticles distinguished by intrinsic fluorescence, in particular carbon quantum dots allow for real-time imaging, superior biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties rendering them highly adaptable for sophisticated therapeutic and diagnostic uses. Transcutaneous drug delivery devices offer a non-invasive approach for administering medications through the skin, enabling drugs to bypass the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass metabolism thereby improving bioavailability, and promoting enhanced patient compliance. Nanoparticles, particularly those sized between 1 and 10 nm in all dimensions, significantly enhance skin penetration, thereby improving drug delivery to deeper tissues, thus making carbon dots an ideal candidate as a nanocarrier in the transcutaneous system. A focused review on carbon quantum dots as novel nanocarriers to overcome present obstacles in transcutaneous drug administration is critically presented.