A green, one-step microwave-assisted polyol synthesis was employed to prepare blue luminescent carbon nitride dots (CNDs) using folic acid molecules as both carbon and nitrogen sources. The as-prepared CNDs had an average size of around 4.51 nm and could be well dispersed in water. Under excitation at 360 nm, the CNDs exhibited a strong blue luminescence and the quantum yield was estimated to be 18.9%, which is greater than that of other reported CNDs. Moreover, the CNDs showed low cytotoxicity and could efficiently label C6 glioma cells, demonstrating their potential in cell imaging.
Keywords: carbon nitride dots (CNDs); cell imaging; folic acid; photoluminescence.