Near-infrared emitting graphene quantum dots synthesized from reduced graphene oxide for in vitro / in vivo / ex vivo bioimaging applications
Abstract
Abstract Near-infrared (NIR) emissive nanomaterials are desired for bioimaging and drug delivery applications due to the high tissue penetration depth of NIR light, enabling in vitro / ex vivo / in vivo fluorescence tracking. Considering the scarcity of NIR-fluorescing biocompatible nanostructures, we have for the first-time synthesized nanometer-sized reduced graphene oxide-derived graphene quantum dots (RGQDs) with NIR (950 nm) emission highly biocompatible in vitro with no preliminary toxic response in vivo. RGQDs are obtained in a high-yield (∼90%) top-down sodium hypochlorite/ultraviolet-driven synthetic process from non-emissive micron-sized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) flakes. This oxidation of RGO yields quantum dots with an average size of 3.54 ± 0.05 nm and a highly crystalline graphitic lattice structure with distinguishable lattice fringes. RGQDs exhibit excitation-independent emission in the visible and NIR-I region with a maximum NIR quantum yield of ∼7%. Unlike their parent material, RGQDs show substantial biocompatibility with ∼75%–80% cell viability up to high (1 mg ml −1 ) concentrations verified via both MTT and luminescence-based cytotoxicity assays. Tracked in vitro via their NIR fluorescence, RGQDs exhibit efficient internalization in HeLa cells maximized at 12 h with further anticipated excretion. In vivo, RGQDs introduced intravenously to NCr nude mice allow for fluorescence imaging in live sedated animals without the need in sacrificing those at…
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