Facile one-pot electrochemical synthesis and encapsulation of carbon quantum dots in GUVs

Water-soluble Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) featured with blue fluorescence were prepared by electrochemical synthesis at room temperature using carbon electrodes as a carbon source and encapsulated in liposomes of DMPC (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn‑glycero-3-phosphocholine) in a single quick step. The system liposome-CQDs was characterized by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and epifluorescence microscopy. Electrochemical studies, such as cyclic voltammetry and impedance, have corroborated that electrosynthesis occurs at a voltage of -300 mV to form the hybrid system. The analysis includes the evaluation of variables with effect on the synthetic process of CQDs: voltage and reaction time. The results revealed that liposomes labeled with the CQDs are suitable for optical characterization by conventional and epifluorescence microscopies. In summary, this research involved the synthesis of water-soluble CQDs and their encapsulation in phospholipid vesicles in one pot, their characterization using various analytical techniques, the investigation of crucial synthesis variables, and particularly for visualization purposes in microscopy. Due to the rapidity and simplicity of the synthesis method, this work could have potential applications in analytical chemistry, biology, materials science, and related fields.