Sweet graphene quantum dots for imaging carbohydrate receptors in live cells

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are emerging zero-dimensional materials promising a spectrum of novel applications, for example, for bioimaging owing to their desirable properties including tunable photoluminescence, high photostability, good biocompatibility, and molecular size. In this study, carboxylated single-crystalline GQDs with high brightness are synthesized using a bottom-up approach. And for the first time, GQDs are conjugated with monosaccharide moieties and employed to reveal the distribution and dynamic trafficking of carbohydrate receptors on live cells.