title: Visible-Light-Activated Bactericidal Functions of Carbon "Quantum" Dots.
abstract: Carbon dots, generally defined as small carbon nanoparticles with various surface passivation schemes, have emerged as a new class of quantum-dot-like nanomaterials, with their optical properties and photocatalytic functions resembling those typically found in conventional nanoscale semiconductors. In this work, carbon dots were evaluated for their photoinduced bactericidal functions, with the results suggesting that the dots were highly effective in bacteria-killing with visible-light illumination. In fact, the inhibition effect could be observed even simply under ambient room lighting conditions. Mechanistic implications of the results are discussed and so are opportunities in the further development of carbon dots into a new class of effective visible/natural light-responsible bactericidal agents for a variety of bacteria control applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Emerging Materials and Technology, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States.
authors.forename: Mohammed J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Meziani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University , Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States.
authors.forename: Xiuli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Les P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Emerging Materials and Technology, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States.
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: LeCroy
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Emerging Materials and Technology, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University , Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States.
authors.forename: Shengyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Emerging Materials and Technology, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University , Durham, North Carolina 27707, United States.
authors.forename: Liju
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ralph A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tripp
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Laboratory for Emerging Materials and Technology, Clemson University , Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States.
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon; D008027:Light; D049329:Nanostructures; D045663:Quantum Dots; D012666:Semiconductors
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon
keywords: E. coli; bactericidal functions; carbon dots; colloidal TiO2; light activation; photodynamic effect