Red Emissive Carbon Dot Superoxide Dismutase Nanozyme for Bioimaging and Ameliorating Acute Lung Injury

Abstract Harnessing the physiochemical properties and enzymatic activities of nanozymes will provide new insights for disease theranostics. Herein, a novel carbon dot (C‐dot) superoxide dismutase (SOD) nanozyme that exhibits red fluorescence with emission wavelength of 683 nm and shows high SOD‐like activity of >4000 U mg −1 is reported, which presents the great potential for imaging the biodistribution of nanozyme itself in vivo and ameliorating acute lung injury. Through surface modifications, the mechanism of C‐dot SOD nanozyme activity is revealed to be relied on their surface functional groups which bind with superoxide radicals, promote the electron transfer between C‐dots and superoxide radicals, and…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 31971368, 21805021, 82122037, 32171392
• CP
  China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

  Award: 2020M683449