Project Description

Carbon Quantum dots exhibited a wide range of biomedical application viz. bio-imaging, bio-detection, photo, and chemotherapy. Although Carbon Quantum Dots have received much attention in the bio-medical field, still it suffers from lower fluorescence quantum yield (<40%) due to weak and broader emission at a longer wavelength. To solve these issues and to bridge this gap, this project aimed in the development of a hydrophilic multifunctional hybrid Ln3+-CQDs (Lanthanide doped Carbon Dots) via carbonization and reflux methods, for improved bioimaging/sensing, phototherapy, and targeted drug delivery applications. The hybrid C-dots will be activated with Folic acid and anticancer drugs such as Taxol and platin based drugs will be bioconjugated with C-dots for selective tumor cells targeting applications. We anticipate, the prepared FA mediated Ln3+-CQDs could not only be potentially employed for sensing and bioimaging but also useful as an effective carrier for the delivery of drugs that cannot enters into living cells directly. The synthesized FA mediated Ln3+-CQDs as antitumor drug carriers successfully bind with the human cancer cell lines for effective therapy and will be transported the payloads to tumor regions in nude mice. After two years, we expect biodegradable FA mediated Ln3+-CQDs will be developed for early diagnosis and treatment of the cancer cells. We strongly believe the outcome will give a reasonable impact to reduce the number of death in India due to cancer/infectious diseases.