title: Systematic safety evaluation on photoluminescent carbon dots.
abstract: Photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) were prepared using the improved nitric acid oxidation method. The C-dots were characterized by tapping-mode atomic force microscopy, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The C-dots were subjected to systematic safety evaluation via acute toxicity, subacute toxicity, and genotoxicity experiments (including mouse bone marrow micronuclear test and Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity test). The results showed that the C-dots were successfully prepared with good stability, high dispersibility, and water solubility. At all studied C-dot dosages, no significant toxic effect, i.e., no abnormality or lesion, was observed in the organs of the animals. Therefore, the C-dots are non-toxic to mice under any dose and have potential use in fluorescence imaging in vivo, tumor cell tracking, and others.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology, Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China. wangyuxia1962@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhongcai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wo
authors.forename: Yuxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guangxia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Daxiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui