Antimicrobial activity of sulphur-doped graphene quantum dots coupled with methylene blue for photodynamic therapy applications

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted much attention and are a promising material with potential applications in many fields. One application of GQDs is as a photodynamic therapy agent that generates singlet oxygen. In this work, GQDs were grown by focusing nanosecond laser pulses into benzene and then were later combined with methylene blue (MB) and used to eradicate the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Gram-positive bacteria, Micrococcus luteus. Theoretical calculation of pressure evolution was calculated using the standard finite difference method. Detailed characterization was performed with TEM, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis, and photoluminescence spectra. Combining MB with GQDs caused enhanced singlet oxygen generation. Our results show that the MB-GQD combination efficiently destroys bacteria. The MTT assay was used to determine if GQDs in dark conditions caused human cellular side-effects and affected cancer and noncancer cellular viability. We found that even high concentrations of GQDs do not alter viability under dark conditions. These results suggest that the MB-GQD combination is a promising form of photodynamic therapy.