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Diethylenetriamine-β-cyclodextrin (3N-β-CD)-modified carbon quantum dots were synthesized for the first time via a one-step hydrothermal method using citric acid as the carbon source and diethylenetriamine-β-cyclodextrin as the nitrogen source. The synthesized carbon quantum dots were used as fluorescent probes for the selective detection of Hg2+ and Fe3+ in an aqueous solution and live cell imaging application on Hela cancer cell line. [Display omitted] • 3 N -CQDs were synthesized readily using citric acid as the carbon source by hydrothermal method. • The 3 N -CQDs showed a favorable fluorescence performance towards Hg2+ and Fe3+ detection. • Cytotoxicity assay indicated that the 3 N -CQDs had extremely low cytotoxicity. • The 3 N -CQDs showed good biocompatibility and bioimaging property in the cell imaging. Diethylenetriamine-β-cyclodextrin-modified carbon quantum dots (3 N -CQDs) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method using citric acid as the carbon source and diethylenetriamine-β-cyclodextrin (3 N-β-CD) as the nitrogen source. The successful preparation of 3 N -CQDs were revealed by infrared absorption spectroscopy, ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, XRD, XPS, TEM, and TG. Further spectroscopic studies showed that the synthesized carbon quantum dots offered good anti-interference capability. The relative fluorescence quantum yield was 67.2 %. The limits of detection for Hg2+ and Fe3+ were 0.25 µM and 0.57 μM, respectively. Cytotoxicity and imaging studies showed that the prepared carbon quantum dots had low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, and good cellular imaging capability for HeLa cells. They offered fluorescent sensing of Hg2+ and Fe3+ in live cells. Therefore, 3 N -CQDs were ideal fluorescent probes for the detection of Hg2+ and Fe3+ in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon quantum dot (CQD), a fluorescent carbon nanoparticle, has attracted considerable interest due to its photoluminescent property and promising applications in cell imaging and bioimaging. In this work, biocompatible, photostable, and sustainably sourced CQDs were synthesized from byproducts derived from a biorefinery process using one-pot hydrothermal treatment. The main components of byproducts were the degradation products (autohydrolyzate) of biomass pretreated by autohydrolysis. The as-synthesized CQDs had a size distribution from 2.0–6.0 nm and had high percentage of sp2 and sp3 carbon groups. The CQDs showed blue-green fluorescence with a quantum yield of ~13%, and the fluorescence behaviors were found to be stable with strong resistance to photobleaching and temperature change. In addition, it is found that the as-synthesized CQDs could be used for imaging of cells and tumors, which show potential applications in bioimaging and related fields such as phototherapy and imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]