Two-Dimensional Graphene Quantum Dots in Drug Delivery Applications

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) possess properties like a large surface area, photostability, and biocompatibility, and they can be tailored simply over in-situ synthesis and post-synthesis. GQDs can be altered with biomolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, DNA, and polymers to generate a hybrid QD system. GQDs and other molecules in hybrid systems serve as carriers for drug delivery of several anticancer treatments. The use of these substances to modify GQDs reduces their cytotoxicity and increases effectiveness as carriers. Because they are less toxic and more biocompatible, the GQDs are potential candidates for biological purposes such as bioimaging, delivering therapeutic agents, and theranostics. This chapter discusses recent breakthroughs in the synthesis of GQDs and their drug delivery applications. Physicochemical, optical, and biological characteristics such as size, chemical composition-dependent fluorescence, therapies, biocompatibility, and cellular toxicity are extensively investigated and summarized. It also provides vital insight into the fact that the performance of QDs as a drug delivery carrier is dependent on a combination of particle formulation factors and the level of cellular absorption.