Nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots for bioimaging and delivery of paclitaxel

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) hold great potential in imaging and drug delivery applications. In this study, nitrogen-doped CNDs (NCNDs) were coupled to the anticancer agent paclitaxel (PTX) through a labile ester bond. NCNDs showed excellent cell viability and endowed the NCND–PTX conjugate with good water solubility. The hybrid integrates the optical properties of the nanodots with the anticancer function of the drug into a single unit. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in breast, cervix, lung, and prostate cancer cell lines by the MTT assay while the cellular uptake was monitored using confocal microscopy. NCND–PTX induced apoptosis in cancer cells exhibiting slightly better anticancer activity compared to the drug alone. Moreover, the course of the NCND–PTX interaction with cancer cells was monitored using an xCELLigence system. The NCND-based conjugate represents a promising platform for bioimaging and drug delivery.