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Application of Carbon Dots as Antibacterial Agents: A Mini Review

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Abstract

Carbon dots (CDs) are sub-10 nm carbon particles with notable photoluminescence and photoelectrochemical properties, finding diverse applications in optoelectronics, chemistry, and medicine. Their unique physicochemical properties give rise to antimicrobial actions, being realized through complex mechanisms. Discovering the latter was the aim of this review. The primary interaction of CDs with negatively charged bacterial cells is ensured by electrostatic interaction with that because of CDs’ surface positive charge. Hydrophobic forces further contribute to this interaction. Modification of CDs with different alkyl chains enhances their antibacterial effect by balancing positive charge and hydrophobicity, facilitating membrane penetration and causing damage to bacterial cells. Another powerful antibacterial mechanism is the ability of photoexcited CDs to generate reactive oxygen species under visible light, effectively destroying critical biomolecules and inducing cell death. Additionally, the photothermal conversion properties of CDs, allowing them to raise local temperatures upon near-infrared light excitation, result in DNA damage and protein denaturation within bacteria, forming the basis for photothermal therapy. Following infiltration of bacterial walls and membranes, CDs can bind to DNA and RNA in bacteria and fungi through noncovalent interactions, inducing structural changes in DNA and affecting RNA. These multifaceted mechanisms underscore the potential of CDs as versatile antibacterial agents with applications across various biomedical fields.

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Funding

This research was funded by EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme (RISE) under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (project 101008159 “UNAT”), and Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Grant #23BP07-02). A. Zaderko was also supported by French Government in frame of PAUSE programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306, 69100, Villeurbanne, France

    Vladimir Lysenko & Alexander Zaderko

  2. Institute of High Technologies, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street, 64, Kiev, 01601, Ukraine

    Halyna Kuznietsova, Nataliia Dziubenko, Iryna Byelinska, Tetiana Lysenko & Valeriy Skryshevsky

  3. Corporation Science Park, Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, 60 Volodymyrska Str, Kiev, 01033, Ukraine

    Halyna Kuznietsova, Nataliia Dziubenko & Valeriy Skryshevsky

  4. Educational-Scientific Center “Institute of Biology and Medicine”, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street, 64, Kiev, 01601, Ukraine

    Iryna Byelinska

  5. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 9 Leontovicha Street, Kiev, 01054, Ukraine

    Tetiana Lysenko

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  1. Vladimir Lysenko
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Contributions

Conceptualization, V.L. and V.S.; formal analysis, V.L., H.K., A.Z., N.D.; data curation, V.L., H.K., A.Z., I.B., T.L.; writing—original draft preparation, V.L., H.K.; writing—review and editing, V.L., H.K., N.D., A.Z., I.B., V.S.; visualization, V.L., H.K.; supervision, V.L.; project administration, V.L. and V.S.; funding acquisition, V.L. and V.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Halyna Kuznietsova.

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Lysenko, V., Kuznietsova, H., Dziubenko, N. et al. Application of Carbon Dots as Antibacterial Agents: A Mini Review. BioNanoSci. 14, 1819–1831 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-024-01415-y

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