乙醇胺修饰的石墨烯量子点的合成及生物成像应用

One-Pot Synthesis and Bioimaging Application of Ethanolamine-Grafted Graphene Quantum Dots

作为新一代基于碳材料的量子点,乙醇胺(Ethanolamine,ETAM)修饰的石墨烯量子点(ETAM-GQDs)成功地通过一步水热法被合成出来,并通过实验显示出在生物成像应用中的潜力。以柠檬酸作为碳源、甘氨酸作为桥联剂,通过乙醇胺/去离子水共溶剂水热法,成功地实现了在石墨烯量子点表面修饰乙醇胺得到ETAM-GQDs。通过原子力显微镜(AFM)、光电子能谱(XPS)、拉曼光谱等对ETAM-GQDs进行表征,在测得ETAM-GQDs的稳态荧光光谱后,通过使用硫酸奎宁作为参比,在365 nm紫外光激发下测得的ETAM-GQDs的量子产率为38.2%。除此之外,活体细胞HL7702和ETAM-GQDs共培养后,通过荧光成像实验证实了ETAM-GQDs可以作为有效的生物成像剂。

Ethanolamine-grafted graphene quantum dots （ETAM-GQDs） as a novel type of carbon-based quantum dots have been successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach, and show potential application in bioimaging. The hydrothermal synthesis of ETAM-GQDs was accomplished by introducing ethanolamine （ETAM） as the co-solvent blending deionized water while citric acid and glycine are used as the main carbon source and bridge for condensation respectively. The size distribution of ETAM-GQDs was determined by AFM and TEM. The photoluminescent （PL） quantum yield of ETAM-GQDs was measured to be 38.2% under 365 nm light excitation by using quinine sulphate as a standard. The biocompatibility of ETAM-GQDs evaluated by MTT assay indicated the low toxicity of ETAM-GQDs at concentrations below 1 mg/mL. Fluorescent imaging of living HL7702 cells incubated with ETAM-GQDs demonstrated that ETAM- GQDs can be applied as an effective bioimaging agent.