Carbon dots-based materials and their applications in regenerative medicine

Carbon dots (CDs)-based zero-dimensional nanomaterials with dimensions ranging from 1 to 10 nm have shown tremendous potential in the application of regenerative medicine, because of their unique physicochemical properties and favorable attributes like good biocompatibility, unique biological functions, low cost and high stability. These newly synthesized CDs-based nanomaterials could replace traditional semiconductor quantum dots, which have obvious toxicity drawbacks and higher costs. CDs not only show sustained fluorescent quality and biocompatibility, but also serve as superior carriers for drug delivery, as well as for bioimaging-guided detection of cells, drugs, and growth factors. So, they have been shown to play a role in various fields such as chemical and biological sensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, and photocatalysis. Thus, they are considered potential candidates for regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the classification of CDs, focusing on their formation mechanisms, micro-/nanostructures, and distinctive properties. We describe their properties and synthesis methods in detail. Furthermore, we systematically highlight recent remarkable advances in the applications of CDs in regenerative medicine, such as bone and cartilage repair, wound healing, nerve regeneration, and myocardial regeneration, are systematically highlighted. Finally, we discuss the key challenges that lie ahead, outline future research directions, and explore the prospects of CDs-based materials in regenerative medicine.