Graphene Quantum Dots for Optical Bioimaging

Huiting Lu; Wenjun Li; Haifeng Dong; Menglian Wei

doi:10.1002/smll.201902136

Graphene Quantum Dots for Optical Bioimaging

Small. 2019 Sep;15(36):e1902136. doi: 10.1002/smll.201902136. Epub 2019 Jul 15.

Authors

Huiting Lu¹, Wenjun Li¹, Haifeng Dong², Menglian Wei³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China.
² Research Center for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, P. R. China.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, T6G, 2G2, Canada.

PMID: 31304647
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201902136

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have shown great potential in bioimaging applications due to their excellent biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, feasibility for surface functionalization, physiological stability, and tunable fluorescence properties. This Review first introduces the intriguing optical properties of GQDs that are suitable for biological imaging, and is followed by the GQDs' synthetic strategies. The emergent and latest development methods for tuning GQDs' optical properties are further described in detail. The recent advanced applications of GQDs in vitro, particularly in cell imaging, targeted imaging, and theranostic nanoplatform fabrication, are included. The applications of GQDs for in vivo bioimaging are also covered. Finally, the Review is concluded with the challenges and prospectives that face this nascent yet exciting field.

Keywords: bioimaging; fluorescence; graphene quantum dots; in vitro; in vivo.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Fluorescence
Graphite / chemistry*
Molecular Imaging / methods*
Quantum Dots / chemistry*

Substances

Graphite