Recent Trends in Nobel Metals and Carbon Dots in the Costume of Hybrid Nano Architecture

In recent years, hybrid architectures have been extensively developed in the fields of environment and energy to overcome the disadvantages of single-component nanomaterials which are less efficient. One of the common approaches involves integrating noble metals with carbon-based dots (CDs), which can harmonize their respective strengths by combining properties like tunable excitation/emission properties, CDs possess chemical inertness, photostability, low toxicity, good biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness. Consequently, CDs have found extensive use in catalysis, electronics, sensing, and power applications as well as in biology. An emerging nanomaterial, CDs contain a carbonized carbon core attached to heteroatoms in organic functional groups, making it one of the most promising nanomaterials known. Many C-dots are candidates as antibacterial and anticancer reagents due to their surface residue activity and ability to generate reactive oxygen species. Biocompatible and fluorescent C-dots can be used for diagnostics and therapeutics with suitable conjugation, showing their great potential as theragnostic. Specifically, we discuss recent advances in the synthesis, structure, and fluorescence properties of CDs with an emphasis on their biomedical applications. In this review article, there will be a focus on CDs, including drug/gene delivery, bioimaging, photothermal, and photodynamic therapy. In addition, we present a discussion on the future prospects of CDs in the biomedical sector. Graphical abstract