Graphitic Dots Combining Photophysical Characteristics of Organic Molecular Fluorophores and Inorganic Quantum Dots

Abstract

Thanks to their photophysical properties, both organic molecular fluorophores (MFs) and inorganic quantum dots (QDs) are extensively used for bioimaging applications. However, limitations such as photobleaching for the former or blinking, size, and toxicity for the latter still constitute a challenge for numerous applications. We report here that embedding MFs in graphitic carbon dots (GDs) results in fluorophores which entirely tackle this challenge. Characterized by ultranarrow, bright, and excitation-independent emission devoid of blinking and photobleaching, these hybrid-featured nanoparticles also demonstrate their unique photophysical performances at the single-nanoparticle scale, making them appealing candidates for bioimaging applications.