Bottom-up synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen co-decorated carbon quantum dots with enhanced DNA plasmid expression

Amir Yadegari; Jafar Khezri; Sadaf Esfandiari; Hossein Mahdavi; Ali Asghar Karkhane; Reza Rahighi; Rashid Heidarimoghadam; Lobat Tayebi; Ehsan Hashemi; Abbas Farmany

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.110543

Bottom-up synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen co-decorated carbon quantum dots with enhanced DNA plasmid expression

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2019 Dec 1:184:110543. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.110543. Epub 2019 Oct 5.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Dentistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA.
² National Research Center for Transgenic Mouse National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box: 14965-161, Tehran, Iran.
³ School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11155-9161, Tehran, Iran; Department of Research and Development, Sharif Ultrahigh Nanotechnologists (SUN) Company, P.O. Box: 13488-96394, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Department of Ergonomics, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Research Centre, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
⁶ National Research Center for Transgenic Mouse National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box: 14965-161, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: e_hashemi@nigeb.ac.ir.
⁷ Dental Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Electronic address: a.farmany@ut.ac.ir.

PMID: 31627102
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.110543

Abstract

In this paper, a bottom-up hydrothermal route is reported for the synthesis of oxygen and nitrogen co-decorated carbon quantum dots (CQDs) using ammonium hydrogen citrate (AHC) as a single precursor. DLS data approved the formation of 4.0 nm (average size) CQDs. XRD pattern shows the interlayer spacing (002) of 3.5 Å for CQDs, which is exactly the same as that of crystalline graphite. XPS and FTIR spectra verified the formation of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on the CQDs surface. Co-decorated carboxyl, hydroxyl and amine groups on the CQDs surfaces make them as promising polyelectrolyte for gene delivery. Toxicity assay showed a survival rate of 70% under different incubation times and up to 500 μg/mL. The highly water-soluble, stable fluorescence and low toxic CQDs increased the gene expression of DNA plasmid in E. coli bacteria 4-fold more than the control group.

Keywords: Biocompatible; Carbon quantum dot; Gene delivery; Transformation.

MeSH terms

Carbon / chemistry*
Carbon / pharmacology
Citrates / chemistry
DNA / chemistry*
DNA / genetics
Escherichia coli / drug effects
Escherichia coli / genetics
Gene Transfer Techniques
Nitrogen / chemistry*
Nitrogen / pharmacology
Oxygen / chemistry*
Oxygen / pharmacology
Particle Size
Plasmids
Polyelectrolytes / chemistry
Polyelectrolytes / pharmacology
Quantum Dots / chemistry*
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / chemistry
Surface Properties

Substances

Citrates
Polyelectrolytes
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Carbon
DNA
Nitrogen
Oxygen