Congratulations to our colleague MS Student. Le Ky Vien, for her recent publication entitled "Sustainable synthesis of graphene quantum dots with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and photocatalytic efficiency from biowaste and synergistic antibacterial activity of CuO@GQDs composite" in the journal " Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects", which was a collaboration with our colleagues in the Center for INOMAR, VNU-HCM.
Utilizing agricultural waste as a sustainable resource, we report the biosynthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) derived from starch extracted from Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit) seeds, an abundant yet underutilized byproduct. GQDs were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method, yielding fluorescent nanodots with an average diameter of 3.3 nm. Their structural and optical properties were confirmed through FTIR, XRD, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analyses. The resulting GQDs exhibited notable biological and environmental functionalities. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the synthesized graphene quantum dots were evaluated, and IC50 values for 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and bovine serum albumin assays were determined as 5.84, 14.62 and 26.32 µg/mL, respectively. The photocatalytic performance of GQDs was demonstrated, degrading 86.42 % of methylene blue (10 µg/mL) under UV irradiation within 60 min at a 200 µg/mL concentration. To enhance antibacterial performance, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs), synthesized using Syzygium nervosum leaf extract, were incorporated with GQDs through a thermal-assisted synthesis strategy, forming CuO@GQDs hybrid nanocomposites. The composite showed markedly improved antibacterial efficacy, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, achieving over 90 % inhibition at 100 µg/mL. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) analyses revealed a strong synergistic interaction between CuO NPs and GQDs. This study highlights the dual role of GQDs as both bioactive agents and functional enhancers in nanocomposites, and demonstrates a green, waste-to-nanomaterial approach for developing multifunctional platforms for biomedical and environmental applications.
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This study was supported by the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City under grant number NCM2024–50–01.
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