Sweet nanodot for biomedical imaging: carbon dot derived from xylitol

Abstract

We report a facile microwave pyrolysis approach to prepare carbon dots (CDs) using xylitol, a biomass-derived sugar alcohol. Both the surface-passivating agent (ethylenediamine) and HCl are crucial to control the luminescent properties during the synthesis of CDs. CDxy exhibits bright luminescence, aqueous stability, and low cytotoxicity, and thus has high potential for biomedical applications.