Hydrothermal synthesis of biomass-derived carbon nanodots: Characterization and applications

Carbon dots (CDs or C-dots), the novel entry to the nanocarbon family, have found a distinct place in material science. Herein, the cytotoxicity of fluorescent CDs derived from the leaves of Lour (L-CDs) and Thumbai (T-CDs) are evaluated in vitro towards HeLa cancer cells and normal primary H8 cells. Carbon dots synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal method are characterized using HR-TEM, FT-IR, UV–Visible, photoluminescence, and FT-Raman analysis spectroscopies. Both MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and cell morphology images depict the dose-dependent reduction in cell viability in malignant cells, while commendably good tolerance was noted in primary H8 cells. The IC50 value obtained for T-CDs is 2 μg/mL for cancer cell lines, which is extremely appealing. Caspase 3 assay and reactive oxygen species analysis were also conducted, which conforms the apoptosis-mediated cell death. Besides the anticancer efficacy, the antioxidant nature of the particles is also traced using these particles through DPPH radical scavenging analysis (RSA). A comparatively less explored feature of carbon dots, reducing nature, is also demonstrated here.