The analytical and biomedical applications of carbon dots and their future theranostic potential: A review

Abstract

The analytical and biomedical applications of carbon dots and The analytical and biomedical applications of carbon dots and their future theranostic potential: A review their future theranostic potential: A review

Carbon Dots: Classification, Properties, Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications in Health Care—An Updated Review (2018–2021)

“…These techniques deliver images of biological materials, as well as their spatial and molecular details based on the type of required bioimaging application. Amidst these methods, fluorescent imaging has attained significant attention, because it is facile, affordable, and highly sensitive, as well as it generates high resolution photography [44,[59][60][61]63].…”

“…The requirement of targeted drug delivery is to develop a new drug delivery system with a tendency to transport drug molecules to a specific target in the body that may result in an appropriate target-drug interaction. One of the most significant ways for improving the drug delivery system is to conjugate drugs with nanomaterials, which can result in the enhancement of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination [42,44,295]. Advancements in nanomaterials-based targeted drug delivery exhibit several benefits, such as examination of the drug sites with the help of imaging agents on the drug carrier, transportation of the macromolecule drugs, therapeutic methods for different therapies, delivery of multiple drugs simultaneously, improved drug delivery of hydrophobic drugs, and targeted drug delivery to a specific cell, tissue, or organ [43,44,60,296].…”

“…One of the most significant ways for improving the drug delivery system is to conjugate drugs with nanomaterials, which can result in the enhancement of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination [42,44,295]. Advancements in nanomaterials-based targeted drug delivery exhibit several benefits, such as examination of the drug sites with the help of imaging agents on the drug carrier, transportation of the macromolecule drugs, therapeutic methods for different therapies, delivery of multiple drugs simultaneously, improved drug delivery of hydrophobic drugs, and targeted drug delivery to a specific cell, tissue, or organ [43,44,60,296]. To serve these benefits, CDs play a substantial role as a nanocarrier in the development of novel drug delivery systems.…”

“…Additionally, some of these carbon nanomaterials are used as the fluorescent probes for bioimaging purposes. Moreover, they are also employed for certain therapeutic applications, where they can be served as nanocarriers for drug/gene delivery, besides acting as the therapeutic agents in photodynamic and photothermal therapies [42][43][44].…”

“…CDs as the potent imaging agents play a pivotal role in the real-time imagining of either certain cells, tissues, organs, or in combination, that help in the accurate diagnosis of various forms of cancer and several diseases. Moreover, they have the tendency to efficiently deliver genes/drugs by serving as nanocarriers, as well as also being highly capable theranostic agents for various phototherapies like photodynamic and photothermal therapies [43,44,[58][59][60][61][62][63]. Henceforth, all these significant attributes of CDs make them strong foundations for serving various diagnostic and therapeutic applications.…”