Nitrogen-doped carbon dots as a fluorescent probe for the highly sensitive detection of bilirubin and cell imaging

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs) with bright blue fluorescence were constructed by a hydrothermal method using sucrose and l- proline as raw materials. The NCDs were characterized by transmitted electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the morphology, elemental composition, and optical properties. The NCDs had good water solubility, high dispersibility with an average diameter of only 1.7 nm, and satisfactory optical properties with a fluorescence quantum yield of 23.4%. The NCDs were employed for the detection of bilirubin. A good linear response of the NCDs in the range 0.35–9.78 μM was obtained for bilirubin with a detection limit of 33 nM. The NCDs were also applied to the analysis of real samples, serum and urine, with a recovery of 95.34% to 104.66%. The low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility of the NCDs were indicated by an MTT assay and cell imaging of HeLa cells. Compared with other detection systems, using NCDs for bilirubin detection was a facile and efficient method with good selectivity and sensitivity.     

氮掺杂碳纳米颗粒对稻田根际土壤细菌群落的影响

氮掺杂碳纳米颗粒(N-CNPs)具有较高的农田氮肥增效潜力,但其对稻田根际土壤细菌群落结构和功能的影响尚不明确。本研究以连续3年施用低(1.2%,N-CNPs1)、中(6.7%,N-CNPs2)和高(9.3%,N-CNPs3)氮掺杂碳纳米颗粒的稻田根际土壤为研究对象,采用高通量测序技术和PICRUSt 功能预测方法研究其细菌群落组成和代谢功能变化。结果表明: 连续3年配施N-CNPs能提升稻田根际土壤细菌群落多样性,改变细菌群落功能;不同氮掺杂量水平间存在差异,其中以中氮掺杂量(N-CNPs2)碳纳米颗粒处理变化幅度最大。细菌群落分析结果指出,配施N-CNPs提升了根际土壤中变形菌门、酸杆菌门和疣微菌门的相对丰度,降低了浮霉菌门、绿弯菌门、硝化螺旋菌门和芽单胞菌门的相对丰度。PICRUSt 功能预测结果表明,在二级预测功能分类中,配施N-CNPs处理的氨基酸代谢、碳水化合物代谢和脂类代谢功能得到增强,而其他代谢功能则受到减弱。KEGG 直系同源基因簇丰度热图结果显示,N-CNPs2处理能提升根际土壤碳、氮代谢相关的细菌群落的相对丰度。     

In vitro and in silico antifungal efficacy of nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorn (NCNH) against Rhizoctonia solani

We have investigated in vitro antifungal efficiency of nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorn (NCNH) against Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) plant pathogenic fungi. NCNH with size of 50–60 nm and concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 150 μg mL^?1 were used. The results showed that growth of fungi in the presence of NCNH was significantly (p > .05) inhibited at 150 μg mL^?1 (85.13 ± .97) after 72 h. The results were validated through computational approaches. Molecular docking analysis of NCNH with endochitinase protein of R. solani was performed to validate the potential of antifungal activity of NCNH. Docking results showed different conformations of interaction of NCNH with endochitinase enzyme. The conformation with least binding energy ?13.54 kcal/mol was considered further. It is likely that NCNH interacts with the pathogens by mechanically wrapping, which may be one of the major toxicity actions of NCNH against R. solani. The analysis showed that NCNH might interwinds to endochitinase of R. solani leading to the deactivation of the enzyme. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report of antifungal efficacy of NCNH against R. solani and provides useful information about the application of NCNH in resisting crop disease.     

氮掺杂石墨烯量子点对拟南芥主根生长方向的影响

石墨烯量子点(GQDs)在电化学生物传感器、生物成像和生物医学等领域具有巨大的应用潜力, 在公众和环境中的暴露程度也越来越高, 近年来其生物安全性备受关注。截至目前, 有关石墨烯量子点对植物生长发育影响的研究较少。该文从细胞和分子水平探究了氮掺杂石墨烯量子点(N-GQDs)处理对拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)主根生长方向的影响。结果表明, N-GQDs能够被根摄取, 并通过维管束运输。50-100 mg∙L^-1 N-GQDs处理可改变主根的生长方向, 使其朝着远离培养基的方向发生弯曲。研究发现, N-GQDs处理导致根尖小柱细胞中淀粉粒的积累减少, 生长素外排载体PIN3的表达量降低, 小柱细胞中的PIN3重新定位到远离培养基一侧的细胞外侧膜(即朝向空气), 促进根尖生长素的不对称分布, 从而引发主根朝着远离培养基的方向弯曲生长, 以避开较高浓度的N-GQDs环境。研究结果为进一步阐明N-GQDs处理改变根生长方向的机制提供了重要线索, 同时也为N-GQDs的生物安全性评价提供参考依据。     

Synthesis and Functionalization of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Nanotube Cups with Gold Nanoparticles as Cork Stoppers

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes consist of many cup-shaped graphitic compartments termed as nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube cups (NCNCs). These as-synthesized graphitic nanocups from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method were stacked in a head-to-tail fashion held only through noncovalent interactions. Individual NCNCs can be isolated out of their stacking structure through a series of chemical and physical separation processes. First, as-synthesized NCNCs were oxidized in a mixture of strong acids to introduce oxygen-containing defects on the graphitic walls. The oxidized NCNCs were then processed using high-intensity probe-tip sonication which effectively separated the stacked NCNCs into individual graphitic nanocups. Owing to their abundant oxygen and nitrogen surface functionalities, the resulted individual NCNCs are highly hydrophilic and can be effectively functionalized with gold nanoparticles (GNPs), which preferentially fit in the opening of the cups as cork stoppers. These graphitic nanocups corked with GNPs may find promising applications as nanoscale containers and drug carriers.     

Signal-on fluorescent sensor based on N-CQDs for the detection of glutathione in human serum and pharmaceutic preparation

Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) with citric acid and ethylenediamine as raw materials were synthesized by an efficient one-step strategy. The N-CQDs showed a special property that the fluorescence was quenched by Fe³⁺. The quenched fluorescence of N-CQDs could be recovered by glutathione (GSH). Therefore, a “signal-on” fluorescent sensor was developed to detect GSH. The fluorescent sensor could favorably avoid the interference of ascorbic acid, dopamine, glucose, oxidized glutathione, and other amino acids in the detecting process of GSH. The proposed sensor showed a great feature that GSH can be accurately detected in the range from 0.001 to 0.1?mol/L and can be applied to detect GSH in the human serum. Therefore, the proposed method has a promising application for monitoring the blood drug concentration of GSH in clinical studies.