Radical generation of Quantum Dots and Carbon Dots under Electromagnetic Radiation

Abstract

The research community is constantly on the search for new methods and products to improve cancer diagnosis and therapy. One promising area is nanomedicine - the use of nanotechnology in medicine.

Nanoparticles such as quantum dots (QDots) can potentially lead to breakthroughs in terms of detecting, diagnosing, and treating various forms of cancer. In this thesis, the sensitizing abilities of quantum dots and a similar nanoparticle - the carbon dot (CDot) have been studied. Do these nanoparticles generate free radicals such as reactive oxygen species that furthermore can damage cancer cells? If they do, they can potentially be used as photosensitizers or radiosensitizers in cancer therapies such as PDT (photodynamic therapy) and radiotherapy.