Bifunctional Carbon Dots Derived From an Anaerobic Bacterium of Porphyromonas gingivalis for Selective Detection of Fe3+ and Bioimaging

In this study, for the first time, Porphyromonas gingivalis, an anaerobic bacterium, was selected to synthesize carbon dots. The achieved P. gingivalis–carbon dots (Pg‐CDs) exhibited strong fluorescence and high stability with capability for dual function as Fe3+ sensor and intracellular imaging agent. The detection limit for Fe3+ was as low as 1.85 µm. On the other hand, the prepared Pg‐CDs were an excellent candidate for biosensor with high biocompatibility. In this work, carbon dots with high stability were synthesized from Porphyromonas gingivalis, an anaerobic bacterium. The achieved CDs held promising potential both in Fe3+ detection and intracellular imaging owning to their strong fluorescence and nontoxicity.