Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Applications in Bioimaging, Biosensing, and Therapy

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are carbon-based, nanoscale particles that exhibit excellent chemical, physical, and biological properties that allow them to excel in a wide range of applications in nanomedicine. The unique electronic structure of GQDs confers functional attributes onto these nanomaterials such as strong and tunable photoluminescence for use in fluorescence bioimaging and biosensing, a high loading capacity of aromatic compounds for small-molecule drug delivery, and the ability to absorb incident radiation for use in the cancer-killing techniques of photothermal and photodynamic therapy. Recent advances in the development of GQDs as novel, multifunctional biomaterials are presented with a focus on their physicochemical, electronic, magnetic, and biological properties, along with a discussion of technical progress in the synthesis of GQDs. Progress toward the application of GQDs in bioimaging, biosensing, and therapy is reviewed, along with a discussion of the current limitations and future directions of this exciting material.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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