Dysprosium-doped carbon quantum dot nanocarrier: in vitro anticancer activity

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) represent a novel class of nanomaterials with uniquely interesting spectroscopic and dimensional features. Owing to their general low toxicity, they are preferred for application in drug delivery. Newer CQDs are plausible by substituting metal elements that impart new characteristics. This paper presents a novel dysprosium-doped CQD nanomaterial made as a composite with a β-cyclodextrin–polyethylene glycol–folate polymer. The synthesized material is characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron and IR spectroscopies. The amount of polymer in the composite is investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The size of the polymer-containing CQDS is around 8 nm. The dysprosium doping makes them magnetic in nature. Further, the material shows a broad absorption with the tail absorbance extending up to the near-infrared wavelength region. The designed nanocarrier shows a high camptothecin encapsulation efficiency of 91.03%. The in vitro anticancer studies on MCF-7 cells are carried out, and the IC₅₀ value is more significant than the free carrier, implying a combined effect of the nanocarrier and the drug in action against the breast cancer cell lines.