Effect of heteroatoms on the optical properties and enzymatic activity of N-doped carbon dots

Abstract

, carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds) can be altered by changing the ratio of carbon to heteroatom sources, and (ii) both the heteroatom content and the heteroatom-bonding character significantly influence the properties of the doped CDs. Notably, N-CDs exhibited higher quantum yields and peroxidase-like activities than the non-doped CDs. Furthermore, the negatively charged N-CDs exhibited negligible cytotoxicity. Such comprehensive investigations on the physicochemical properties of N-CDs are expected to guide the design of N-CDs for targeted applications.

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