Facile Preparation of Highly Luminescent Nitrogen-Doped Carbonaceous Nanospheres and Potential Application in Intracellular Imaging of Quercetin

摘要

Highly luminescent nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanospheres (LNCNs) were synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal reaction of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and branched polyethylenimine (BPEI). Both the N-doping and amino-functionalisation of LNCNs were achieved simultaneously. The prepared LNCNs display excellent properties such as high physical and chemical stability, excitation wavelength-independent emission, and high photoluminescence quantum yields. Importantly, the LNCNs exhibit a quenching of photoluminescence in the presence of quercetin (Qc) based on the simple static quenching mechanism, making it possible to quantify concentrations from 0.5 to 80 mu g mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.21 mu g mL(-1). Furthermore, the LNCNs probe was further used for imaging Qc in living cells.