Fluorescent nanostructures based on folic acid and citrate: Synthesis and properties

Abstract

The fluorescent properties of products obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of organic raw materials are of great interest. Such products are usually colloidal stability in water, have low cytotoxicity, and high photostability. One of their advantages is a wide choice of starting materials and the relative simplicity of synthesis. The use of folic acid as a precursor for fluorescent nanostructures opens up the possibility of targeted imaging. This article shows a one-step synthesis of fluorescent nanostructures from folic acid and citrates. The effect of citrate concentration in the range from 0.05 to 2 mol/l on the optical properties of the synthesized structures is also studied.

Keywords

• fluorescent nanostructures
• one-step synthesis
• hydrothermal synthesis
• folic acid
• citric acid
• sodium citrate
• water-soluble nanostructures