Red-emitting and antibacterial carbon dots for cellular imaging and skin wound healing

Carbon dots (CDs) as a new type of fluorescent nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention from researchers in chemistry, biology, and materials science. Here, we employed a hydrothermal method for synthesis of red-emitting and antibacterial CDs displaying an excitation-independent emission characteristic with a maximum emission intensity at 610 nm (pH 7.4). The synthesised CDs exhibited a high capability for bioimaging in HeLa cells, because of their negligible cytotoxicity and acceptable red photoluminescence. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of CDs against P. aeruginosa was studied and showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 256 μg ml−1. Further experimental results showed the high ability of the CDs to heal skin wounds in the rat model. According to the observations, wound healing in the presence of the CDs was calculated four days faster with 20.48% better performance than the control group.