Development of biocompatible carbon nanoparticles for optical sensing applications

Carbon nanoparticles are newly discovered materials that possess interesting optical properties and can be used for sensing applications. This work reports the simple synthesis approaches for the production of homogenous spherical carbon nanoparticles using alginate as starting precursor. Optimum synthesis conditions have been obtained and the properties of the carbon nanoparticles have been characterised. The unique fluorescence has been leveraged for optical sensing of ferric ions, ascorbic acid and cardiac troponin T. This leads to the potential for real applications in environmental monitoring and as medical diagnostic tools.