Research Projects

Cancer is a prevalent disease, and various treatments are available, but most are invasive and affect the entire body. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is less invasive and targets specific areas. PDT consists of a photosensitizer drug, a specific wavelength of light, and molecular oxygen. The photosensitizer reacts with molecular oxygen, converting it into reactive oxygen species, which cause oxidative stress and cell death. PDT follows two types of mechanisms: Type-I and Type-II, with singlet oxygen being the main component. Conventional photosensitizers have drawbacks, such as hydrophobicity, low singlet oxygen generation yield, and prolonged photosensitivity due to slow drug clearance. Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) can be used as a photosensitizer and effective PDT agent due to their unique properties, including good biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, small size, and high singlet oxygen generation yield. GQDs with emission in the phototherapeutic window are ideal photosensitizers. The excitation-dependent emission behavior in GQDs is due to surface states or functional groups on their surface. Synthesis procedures play a significant role in obtaining the required functional groups on GQDs' surface, allowing for tuning of emission. This proposal proposes using graphene quantum dots in phototherapeutic windows (GQD-PTW) for PDT, synthesizing it using an electrochemical exfoliation method with graphite rods as electrodes and K₂S₂O₈ with NaOH as electrolyte. The goal is to achieve emission in the phototherapeutic window, maximum penetration depth, high quantum yield, and high singlet oxygen generation yield.