Hollow luminescent carbon dots for drug delivery

Abstract Carbon dots (CDs) are luminescent nanomaterials with unique properties that show great potential in many applications. Herein, hollow CDs (HCDs) are prepared from bovine serum albumin by solvothermal reaction. The obtained HCDs are ca. 6.8 nm in diameter and have a quantum yield of 7%. Their bright photoluminescence means they can be used for cellular imaging. Structure and composition analyses indicate that the HCDs possess a hollow structure with a pore size of ca. 2 nm. The HCDs are used as a delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX). The DOX-HCD drug delivery system exhibits pH-controlled release, and is rapidly taken up by cells. Because of their specific nanostructure and photoluminescence properties, the multifunctional HCDs prepared here show potential for application in both cell imaging and cancer therapy.