ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nanotechnol.
Sec. Nanomaterials
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnano.2025.1634916
Green synthesis of carbon quantum dots from Euglena gracilis for antibacterial and bioimaging applications
Provisionally accepted
- 1Institute of Urban Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agriculture, Chengdu, China
- 2kezilsu vocational technical college, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, China
- 3Zhengzhou University School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- 4Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are a promising class of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials (<10 nm) that can be synthesized from organic materials. They have garnered significant properties due to their high water solubility, nontoxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and strong optical properties. Microalgae offer a low-cost, renewable, and eco-friendly source of carbon for CQD synthesis. Their high carbon content, functionalization potential, and biocompatibility make them ideal precursors for producing CQDs with excellent properties and versatile applications. In this study, we explored the synthesis of Euglena gracilis-drived CQDs (E-CQDs) via a one-step hydrothermal green synthesis method and investigated their potential application in bioimaging and antibacterial materials. The synthesized E-CQDs were comprehensively characterized using TEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, and UV-visible analysis. The TEM images revealed that E-CQDs exhibited a spherical shape with diameters ranging from 6.5 to 10.5 nm. The XRD patterns exhibited that the E-CQDs were crystalline in nature. The FTIR results suggested that E-CQDs were functionalized with C-N and N-H bonds. XPS analysis showed that the E-CQDs were mainly composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and silicon. The UV-vis spectra exhibited a peak at a wavelength of 252 nm, indicating strong absorption in the ultraviolet region. The antibacterial activity test demonstrated that E-CQDs had high inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, causing damage to their cell membranes. Additionally, the bioimaging assay indicated E-CQDs possessed the capacity for bioimaging applications in cells, such as Chlorella. Therefore, this work successfully developed dual-functional E-CQDs with potential applications in both antibacterial materials and biological imaging.
Keywords: Euglena gracilis, Hydrothermal green synthesis, Carbon quantum dots, bacterialinhibition, bioimaging
Received: 25 May 2025; Accepted: 30 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Deng, Cheng, Qin, Guan, Zahid, Liu, Hu and Ren. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hao Cheng, chenghao01@caas.cn
Maozhi Ren, renmaozhi01@caas.cn
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