Conventional fluorescence microscopy is limited by the optical diffraction of light, which results in a spatial resolution of about half of the light's wavelength, approximately to 250-300 nm. The spatial resolution restricts the utilization of microscopes for studying subcellular structures. In order to improve the resolution and to shatter the diffraction limit, two general approaches were developed: a spatially patterned excitation method and a single-molecule localization strategy. The success of super-resolution imaging relies on bright and easily accessible fluorescent probes with special properties. Carbon dots, due to their unique properties, have been used for super-resolution imaging. Considering the importance and fast development of this field, this work focuses on the recent progress and applications of fluorescent carbon dots as probes for super-resolution imaging. The properties of carbon dots for super-resolution microscopy (SRM) are analyzed and discussed. The conclusions and outlook on this topic are also presented.
Keywords: carbon dots; conclusions and outlook; probes and applications; properties; super-resolution microscopy.