Synthesis of carbon quantum dots from Trigonella foenum-graecum L. seeds extract and investigation of their cytotoxicity and photocatalytic properties

In this work, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized through a simple and efficient hydrothermal method with the usage of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. seeds as a raw material. The synthesis of CQDs was confirmed by the usage of FTIR, FESEM, EDX, TEM, UV-Vis, and PL analyses. The photocatalytic activity of CQDs was investigated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye as a target pollutant, resulting in the photodegradation percentage of 92% during 80 min, which indicates the effective role of CQDs in RhB decolorization under UVA-light irradiation. Also, the biocompatibility of CQDs was evaluated on normal (rat fibroblast) cell and cancer CT26 cell lines through the MTT assay, and the concentration-dependent cytotoxicity of CQDs was confirmed along with the IC50 value equal to 876 ppm against cancer CT26 cell lines.