{
  "abstract": "We present here a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) using olive, rosemary, sage, and thyme leaves as a carbon source. The hydrothermal reaction was conducted at 180 °C for 12 h, thereby converting biomass into water-dispersible CDs without a passivating agent. The average size of the CDs, determined by TEM, was 3–6 nm, with a spherical morphology. All synthesized CDs displayed excitation-dependent fluorescence, with emission maxima at 400–440 nm (blue) with excitation at 340–370 nm. FLIM measurements yielded similar fluorescence lifetimes of approximately 5 ns in aqueous solutions of CDs. FTIR spectra indicated surface hydroxyl and nitrogen-containing functionalities that may contribute to photoluminescence. The antibacterial activity of the as-synthesized CDs against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR)) was investigated. It was shown that biomass-derived CDs exhibit antibacterial activity, being more effective against Gram-positive bacteria, with MIC values as low as 0.625 mg/mL for olive-, rosemary-, and thyme-derived CDs against S. aureus and MRSA. These findings suggest that the developed CDs are fluorescent materials offering viable possibilities in biomedical research, as well as antimicrobial agents.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel",
    "Faculty of Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nataliia Dudchenko",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4850-9557"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Arulappan Durairaj"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Heba Shaban Agbaria"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Elena Afrimzon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ulugbek Saidvaliev",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-5086-8583"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Dror Fixler",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0963-7908"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sivan Shoshani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ilana Perelshtein",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1944-451X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ehud Banin"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eh02zb9y99bz0.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/nano16201328",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13708720/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "eh02zb9y99bz0",
  "issns": [
    "2079-4991"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1328",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2505|Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223003920",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13708720/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13708720",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eh02zb9y99bz0.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:45Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/nano16201328",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/16/20/1328"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:40Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13708720",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13708720"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2505|Carbon and Quantum Dots Applications",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Hydrothermal Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Renewable Plant Precursors: Antibacterial Activity and Comparative Characterization",
  "title_text": "Hydrothermal Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Renewable Plant Precursors: Antibacterial Activity and Comparative Characterization",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:40Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/eh02zb9y99bz0",
  "venue": "Nanomaterials",
  "versions": []
}