Labelling Proteins with Carbon Nanodots

Abstract We present efficient labelling of several proteins with orange‐emissive carbon dots. N ‐Hydroxysuccinimide was used to activate the carboxyl groups of carbon dots, which subsequently reacted with the lysine groups present on the protein. Labelling was confirmed by UV absorption spectroscopy, PAGE and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Protein‐conjugated carbon dots showed an enhancement in fluorescence lifetime and intensity owing to reduced intramolecular dynamic fluctuations. Single‐molecule fluorescence measurements showed reduced fluorescence fluctuations and higher photon budget after protein tagging. Our study opens up opportunities to use carbon dots as highly precise biolabelling probes.