Fluorescent carbon quantum dots for effective tumor diagnosis: A comprehensive review

Abstract

The Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots (FCQDs) have been extensively explored for medical applications. Primarily, the research concentrated on diagnosis, imaging, and alternative therapeutics for various diseases. The FCQDs, a class of new-generation carbon nanoparticles with a size of less than 10 nm, demonstrate a quantum confinement effect. They have an atomic nature and inherent features like high photostability, variable photoluminescence (PL), high biocompatibility, and good water solubility. All these properties with minimum invasiveness have made quantum dots grab the spotlight in cancer diagnosis. The review introduces tunable fluorescence properties of quantum dots and provides a brief classification of FCQDs. Furthermore, the recent advances of FCQDs for tumor imaging and their refinements for futuristic applications are highlighted.

Keywords

• Carbon quantum dots
• Photoluminescence
• Tumor imaging
• Diagnostic medicine
• Cancer