Facile pH-sensitive optical detection of pathogenic bacteria and cell imaging using multi-emissive nitrogen-doped carbon dots

Abstract Rapid detection of lethal pathogens is critical to abate the mortality rate of patients suffering from infectious diseases. Herein, we report a pH-sensitive detection of the pathogenic bacteria using multicolor emissive Nitrogen-doped Carbon Dots (NtCD) synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The unique pH-sensitive interaction of NtCD with bacteria was best studied at pH 2. NtCD was competent to detect several pathogenic bacteria such as; E. coli, S. aureus, Bacillus, and Proteus vulgaris. The fluorescence spectral investigations of NtCD revealed the excitation dependent emission property with a red-shift. It shows an intense photoluminescent (PL) emission at λex/ λem = 340/435 nm. The calculated quantum yield of NtCD was 27.2%. It also possesses multicolor emission at different excitation wavelengths. TEM analysis displayed the uniform spherical morphology of NtCD particles with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 3.11 ± 0.75 nm. The zeta potential of NtCD was measured as -8.4 mV at pH 2. The interaction between NtCD and bacteria was explained on the basis of their zeta potential values. The PL emission response of NtCD tagged bacteria was investigated at λex = 340 nm. It was potentially tagging to both E. coli and S. aureus but with a better response towards E. coli cells. The human squamous epithelial cells (SEC) were deployed as a fitting substitute for achieving NtCD-mammalian cell imaging. Both NtCD tagged bacterial cells and SEC exhibited multicolor emission as well. Mechanistic implications of pH-dependent PL emission property of NtCD and its bacterial interaction were discussed extensively.