Psidium guajava derived carbon nanoparticles: A promising red emissive cellular bioimaging agent

Abstract

We report a simple, cost-effective, microwave-assisted green synthesis route of red-emitting fluorescence carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) using Psidium guajava (Guava leaves). The synthesis of CNPs is a simple, affordable, and rapid method of producing carbon nanoparticles. The CNPs were characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Atomic force microscopy studies showed that the average size of CNPs is approximately 50 nm. The CNPs exhibited excellent photoluminescence properties with a maximum emission at 677 nm, making them suitable for bioimaging applications. The Ionic, photostability, and thermal stability of CNPs were also checked to understand their robustness. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were exposed to these nanoparticles and showed very efficient uptake, some fraction of it also getting targeted to the nucleus, indicating that CNPs are non-toxic and biocompatible for future biological experiments. The results indicate that guava leaves can be a promising source for the synthesis of red emissive CNPs through the very simple method of synthesis and with bioimaging applications.