Bright-Yellow-Emissive N-Doped Carbon Dots: Preparation, Cellular Imaging, and Bifunctional Sensing

Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have attracted much attention in recent years because of their superior optical and chemical properties, thus demonstrating many potential applications. However, the previously reported CDs mostly show strong emission only in the blue-light region, and the long-wavelength (i.e., yellow- to red-light) emissions are usually very weak. Such a drawback restricts their further applications, particularly in the biology-relevant fields. Herein, a rare example of N-doped CDs that emit bright-yellow fluorescence (i.e., y-CDs) is reported using 1,2,4-triaminobenzene as carbon precursor. The as-prepared y-CDs exhibit not only respectable emission quantum yield and highly optical stabilities but superior biocompatibility and biolabeling potentials. In addition, the y-CDs are found to show an interesting "ON OFF ON" three-state emission with the stepwise addition of Ag+ and cysteine (Cys), indicating potential applications as a bifunctional sensing platform. Thanks to the highly intense emission of y-CDs, the gradual quenching and restoration of their fluorescence with the addition of Ag+ and further Cys could also be observed with the naked eye. More importantly, the ensemble of the y-CDs and Ag+ demonstrates practicability for the highly selective and sensitive detection of Cys in human plasma samples with satisfactory results.