{
  "abstract": "Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) that unite bright, tunable fluorescence with intrinsic biological activity are attractive candidates for theranostic nanoplatforms, yet most existing reports rely on multi-step synthesis or post-synthetic surface passivation to achieve this combination, and the precursors employed rarely engage biology beyond serving as a nitrogen source. Here, nitrogen- and oxygen-co-doped CQDs (designated CQD-P1) were synthesized in a single microwave-assisted step from citric acid and l-tyrosine octyl ester hydrochloride (TYOE), a precursor whose phenolic ring, alkyl ester chain, and ammonium functionality were exploited to simultaneously template a fluorescent, sp2-rich carbon core and impart a cytocompatible, bioactive surface chemistry. Systematic optimization of the citric acid : TYOE ratio, microwave power, and reaction time identified 2.5 g citric acid with 3 mL of 100 mM TYOE (450 W, 4 min) as the optimal condition, yielding monodispersed, quasi-spherical, amorphous-to-turbostratic nanoparticles (3–6 nm) decorated with hydroxyl, carboxyl, amine, and amide surface groups, as established by FTIR, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM-EDX, and HRTEM/SAED. CQD-P1 displayed excitation-dependent, emission (blue, ∼400–420 nm) arising from coupled core- and surface-state radiative recombination, with a relative photoluminescence quantum yield of 37% referenced to coumarin-102. On MG-63-like cells CQD-P1 was not merely non-toxic but pro-proliferative, sustaining cell viability above 100% across the 10–200 ppm range (MTT assay) with a maximum at 50 ppm, a result further corroborated by calcein-AM/propidium iodide live/dead confocal imaging. Moreover, collagen deposition, assessed by picrosirius red staining over 14 days, was higher in CQD-P1-treated MG-63 cells than in untreated controls, indicating an enhanced matrix-forming response. The atom-economic energetically affordable synthesis to simultaneous multicolor bioimaging capability and osteo-supportive bioactivity, establishes tyrosine-ester-derived CQDs as a bifunctional nanoplatform for integrated diagnostic bioimaging and regenerative bone tissue engineering.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Chemistry, C. V. Raman Global University Odisha 752054 India",
    "Biophysical and Protein Chemistry Lab, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Rourkela 769008 India",
    "Neural Developmental Biology Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology Rourkela 769008 India",
    "Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur Jodhpur Rajasthan-342030 India",
    "Center for Nanomaterials, National Institute of Technology Rourkela 769008 India"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Subhasmita Sahoo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Priyanka Panigrahi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Nimbal Kalita"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Arun Kumar Upadhyaya"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mukesh Gupta",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0125-0381"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Harekrushna Sahoo",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2655-1196"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gulmi Chakraborty",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3051-1982"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ke4t1qy160z8.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1039/d6ra07724b",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13728861/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "0ke4t1qy160z8",
  "issns": [
    "2046-2069"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13728861",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Chemistry"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2505|Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7225164937",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13728861/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13728861",
  "pmid": "42979225",
  "published": "2026-11-03",
  "publisher": "Royal Society of Chemistry",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ke4t1qy160z8.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T15:20:45Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13728861",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13728861"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T12:21:44Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13728861",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ra07724b"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2505|Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Green synthesis of high quantum yield tyrosine-derived carbon quantum dots with intrinsic osteo-supportive bioactivity",
  "title_text": "Green synthesis of high quantum yield tyrosine-derived carbon quantum dots with intrinsic osteo-supportive bioactivity",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T12:21:44Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0ke4t1qy160z8",
  "venue": "RSC advances",
  "versions": []
}