title: Single Particle Dynamic Imaging and Fe3+ Sensing with Bright Carbon Dots Derived from Bovine Serum Albumin Proteins.
abstract: In this work, we demonstrated a convenient and green strategy for the synthesis of highly luminescent and water-soluble carbon dots (Cdots) by carbonizing carbon precursors, i.e., Bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles, in water solution. Without post surface modification, the as-synthesized Cdots exhibit fluorescence quantum yield (Q.Y.) as high as 34.8% and display superior colloidal stability not only in concentrated salt solutions (e.g. 2 M KCl) but also in a wide range of pH solutions. According to the FT-IR measurements, the Cdots contain many carboxyl groups, providing a versatile route for further chemical and biological functionalization. Through conjugation of Cdots with the transacting activator of transcription (TAT) peptide (a kind of cell penetration peptide (CPP)) derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), it is possible to directly monitor the dynamic interactions of CPP with living cell membrane at single particle level. Furthermore, these Cdots also exhibit a dosage-dependent selectivity toward Fe(3+) among other metal ions, including K(+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Hg(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Pb(2+) and Al(3+). We believed that the Cdots prepared by this strategy would display promising applications in various areas, including analytical chemistry, nanomedicine, biochemistry and so on.
authors.affiliation: Dynamic Optical Microscopic Imaging Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology &Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Phytochemical R&D of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qingxiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Dynamic Optical Microscopic Imaging Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology &Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Phytochemical R&D of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Dynamic Optical Microscopic Imaging Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology &Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Phytochemical R&D of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xuanfang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Dynamic Optical Microscopic Imaging Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology &Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, Ministry of Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.|Key Laboratory of Phytochemical R&D of Hunan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410081, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lehui
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006678:HIV / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D049449:Luminescence; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; D007477:Ions; D008670:Metals; D014867:Water; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D002244:Carbon