Selenium‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Free‐Radical Scavenging

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 56; no. 33; pp. 9910 - 9914
• Main Authors: Li, Feng, Li, Tianyu, Sun, Chenxing, Xia, Jiahao, Jiao, Yang, Xu, Huaping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 07.08.2017
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Carbon; Carbon dots; carbon quantum dots; Chemical properties; Electronegativity; Fluorescence; Free radicals; Hydrothermal treatment; Oxidative stress; Quantum dots; Reactive oxygen species; Scavenging; Selenium; free radicals; hydrothermal treatment; selenium; carbon quantum dots; reactive oxygen species
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201705989

Heteroatom doping is an effective way to adjust the fluorescent properties of carbon quantum dots. However, selenium‐doped carbon dots have rarely been reported, even though selenium has unique chemical properties such as redox‐responsive properties owing to its special electronegativity. Herein, a facile and high‐output strategy to fabricate selenium‐doped carbon quantum dots (Se‐CQDs) with green fluorescence (quantum yield 7.6 %) is developed through the hydrothermal treatment of selenocystine under mild conditions. Selenium heteroatoms endow the Se‐CQDs with redox‐dependent reversible fluorescence. Furthermore, free radicals such as .OH can be effectively scavenged by the Se‐CQDs. Once Se‐CQDs are internalized into cells, harmful high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells are decreased. This property makes the Se‐CQDs capable of protecting biosystems from oxidative stress. Hydrothermal treatment of selenocystine enabled selenium‐doped carbon quantum dots (Se‐CQDs) with redox‐dependent reversible fluorescence and free radical‐scavenging capability to be fabricated. Once Se‐CQDs are internalized into cells, harmful high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells are decreased. This property makes the Se‐CQDs capable of protecting biosystems from oxidative stress.