Germanium-doped carbon dots as a new type of fluorescent probe for visualizing the dynamic invasions of mercury(II) ions into cancer cells.

Abstract

Carbon dots doped with germanium (GeCDs) were firstly prepared by a new simple 15 min carbonation synthesis route, exhibiting excitation-independent photoluminescence (PL), which could avoid autofluorescence in bioimaging applications. The as-prepared GeCDs have low cell toxicity, good biocompatibility, high intracellular delivery efficiency, stability and could be applied for detection of mercury(II) ions with excellent selectivity in complicated medium. It is to be noted that the as-prepared GeCDs used as a new type of probe for visualization of dynamic invasions of mercury(II) ions into Hep-2 cells display greatly different properties from most of the previously reported CDs which are regularly responsive to iron ions. All the results suggest that the GeCDs can be employed for visualization and monitoring of the significant physiological changes of living cells induced by Hg(2+).

• Authors: Yun Huan Yuan, Rong Sheng Li, Qiang Wang, Zhu Lian Wu, Jian Wang, Hui Liu, Cheng Zhi Huang
• Journal: Nanoscale (Nanoscale) Vol. 7 Issue 40 Pg. 16841-7 (Oct 28 2015) ISSN: 2040-3372 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26403476 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Germanium
• Carbon
• Mercury

Topics

• Carbon (chemistry)
• Germanium (chemistry)
• Hep G2 Cells
• Humans
• Mercury (metabolism)
• Microscopy, Fluorescence (methods)
• Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Quantum Dots (chemistry)