{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,28]],"date-time":"2026-10-28T02:48:13Z","timestamp":1793155693154,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006769","name":"Russian Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["22-13-00082-\u041f"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22-13-00082-\u041f"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006769","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["22-13-00082-\u041f"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["22-13-00082-\u041f"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03y2gwe85","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Light-responsive materials enabling external modulation of bioactivity and spatial control are highly requested for photopharmacology\u2014a booming research area of modern medicine. We present organo-inorganic hybrids of photoswitchable, bioactive symmetric diamine-phosphine oxides conjugated with luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The phosphonate compound was found to undergo Z-E isomerization upon 266 nm laser irradiation and exhibit butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition that increases twofold (15\u201330%) after photoconversion. Hybrids were fabricated via physical adsorption and chemisorption using different CQD surface groups, and characterized by UV-Vis, luminescence, and FTIR spectroscopy, confirming hybrid formation and retention of functional properties. In both binding modes, the molecules retained photoswitching capability despite steric constraints. All hybrids displayed orthogonal functions: luminescence (excitation at 350 nm) and photomodulation of BChE inhibition (at 266 nm). Remarkably, the binding mode dictated the bioactivity window\u2014chemisorbed hybrids showed narrow 1.5-fold modulation, whereas physisorbed hybrids exhibited ultra-wide &gt;10-fold modulation. This tunable responsiveness, achieved simply by altering the binding mode, demonstrates the exceptional potential of this hybrid design strategy for developing photoswitchable materials with tailored photopharmacological performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nano16171066","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T08:02:27Z","timestamp":1787817747000},"page":"1066","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Carbon Quantum Dots as a Luminescent Platform for Photoswitchable Bioactive Hybrids: Tuning Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibition Through Functional Group Engineering"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ilya","family":"Kolesnikov","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gulia","family":"Bikbaeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0057-4202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anastasia","family":"Egorova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"},{"name":"St. Petersburg State Technology Institute (Technical University), 26, Moskovski Ave., St. Petersburg 190013, Russia"},{"name":"St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS), Scientific Research Centre for Ecological Safety of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corpusnaya 18, St. Petersburg 197110, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Pilip","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"},{"name":"St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS), Scientific Research Centre for Ecological Safety of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corpusnaya 18, St. Petersburg 197110, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8164-5174","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandra","family":"Levshakova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2592-5942","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kirill","family":"Laptinskiy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3789-2191","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexey","family":"Vervald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2884-8241","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tatiana","family":"Dolenko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8571-6187","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiaojun","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Heilongjiang Provincial Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science (International Cooperation), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1053-6410","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alina A.","family":"Manshina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St. Petersburg State University, 7\u20139 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moussa, N.A.M., Lee, S., and Kang, S.H. (2025). MoS2\u2013Plasmonic Hybrid Platforms: Next-Generation Tools for Biological Applications. Nanomaterials, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/nano15020111"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1937","DOI":"10.2147\/IJN.S198353","article-title":"Lipid\u2013Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles as a next-Generation Drug Delivery Platform: State of the Art, Emerging Technologies, and Perspectives","volume":"14","author":"Mukherjee","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Nanomed."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5536","DOI":"10.1039\/C7CS00112F","article-title":"Photoswitchable Molecules as Key Ingredients to Drive Systems Away from the Global Thermodynamic Minimum","volume":"46","author":"Kathan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Chem. Soc. Rev."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12377","DOI":"10.1039\/D0CS00547A","article-title":"Molecular Photoswitches in Aqueous Environments","volume":"50","author":"Szymanski","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem. Soc. Rev."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Laurent, G., Maurel, F., Asahi, T., Nakatani, K., and M\u00e9tivier, R. (2017). Photoswitchable Hybrid Nanosystems Based on Diarylethene Molecules and Gold Nanoparticles. Photon-Working Switches, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-4-431-56544-4_22"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112303","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jphotochem.2019.112303","article-title":"Photoswitchable Spiropyran-Capped Hybrid Nanoparticles Based on UV-Emissive and Dual-Emissive Upconverting Nanocrystals for Bioimaging","volume":"392","author":"Chien","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Photochem. Photobiol. A Chem."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2401912","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.202401912","article-title":"Photochromic Carbon Nanomaterials: An Emerging Class of Light-Driven Hybrid Functional Materials","volume":"36","author":"Hassan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36417","DOI":"10.1038\/srep36417","article-title":"Photoswitchable Non-Fluorescent Thermochromic Dye-Nanoparticle Hybrid Probes","volume":"6","author":"Harrington","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6036","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms7036","article-title":"Photoswitchable Semiconductor Nanocrystals with Self-Regulating Photochromic F\u00f6rster Resonance Energy Transfer Acceptors","volume":"6","author":"Gillanders","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2445","DOI":"10.1016\/j.carbon.2007.07.011","article-title":"Synthesis of Photoresponsive Azobenzene Chromophore-Modified Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes","volume":"45","author":"Feng","year":"2007","journal-title":"Carbon"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11186","DOI":"10.1039\/C8RA01447G","article-title":"Switching the Optical and Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Films Using a Photoresponsive Dispersant as a Dopant","volume":"8","author":"Jintoku","year":"2018","journal-title":"RSC Adv."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Das, S., Mondal, S., and Ghosh, D. (2024). Carbon Quantum Dots in Bioimaging and Biomedicines. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2023.1333752"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125258","DOI":"10.1016\/j.colsurfa.2020.125258","article-title":"DOX-Conjugated CQD-Based Nanosponges for Tumor Intracellular PH-Triggered DOX Release and Imaging","volume":"603","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Asp."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ahmad, J., Garg, A., Mustafa, G., Ahmad, M.Z., Aslam, M., and Mishra, A. (2023). Hybrid Quantum Dot as Promising Tools for Theranostic Application in Cancer. Electronics, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/electronics12040972"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11423","DOI":"10.1038\/srep11423","article-title":"Reversible Photoswitching of Carbon Dots","volume":"5","author":"Khan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3716","DOI":"10.1039\/c3tc00906h","article-title":"Reversible Fluorescence Modulation of Spiropyran-Functionalized Carbon Nanoparticles","volume":"1","author":"Liao","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. C Mater."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"021601","DOI":"10.3788\/COL202523.021601","article-title":"Optical Modulation of Photoluminescence in Carbon Quantum Dots Using Diarylethene Molecular Photoswitches","volume":"23","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Chin. Opt. Lett."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11879","DOI":"10.1039\/D5TC00116A","article-title":"Covalent Carbon Nanodot-Azobenzene Hybrid Photoswitches: The Impact of Meta\/Para Connectivity and Sp 3 Spacer on Photophysical Properties","volume":"13","author":"Debes","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem. C Mater."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118979","DOI":"10.1016\/j.saa.2020.118979","article-title":"Laser-Induced Twisting of Phosphorus Functionalized Thiazolotriazole as a Way of Cholinesterase Activity Change","volume":"246","author":"Pankin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Spectrochim. Acta A Mol. Biomol. Spectrosc."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15195","DOI":"10.1039\/D1NJ02487F","article-title":"Laser-Induced Switching of the Biological Activity of Phosphonate Molecules","volume":"45","author":"Kolesnikov","year":"2021","journal-title":"New J. Chem."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e202300131","DOI":"10.1002\/cptc.202300131","article-title":"Vinyl Phosphonates as Photopharmacological Agents: Laser-Induced Cis-Trans Isomerization and Butyrylcholinesterase Activity","volume":"7","author":"Bikbaeva","year":"2023","journal-title":"ChemPhotoChem"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"929","DOI":"10.1111\/php.13720","article-title":"Photoswitchable Phosphonate\u2013Fullerene Hybrids with Cholinesterase Activity","volume":"99","author":"Kolesnikov","year":"2023","journal-title":"Photochem. Photobiol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bikbaeva, G., Pilip, A., Egorova, A., Kolesnikov, I., Pankin, D., Laptinskiy, K., Vervald, A., Dolenko, T., Leuchs, G., and Manshina, A. (2023). All-in-One Photoactivated Inhibition of Butyrylcholinesterase Combined with Luminescence as an Activation and Localization Indicator: Carbon Quantum Dots@ Phosphonate Hybrids. Nanomaterials, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nano13172409"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4417","DOI":"10.1039\/D4NA00389F","article-title":"Smart Photopharmacological Agents: LaVO4: Eu3+ @Vinyl Phosphonate Combining Luminescence Imaging and Photoswitchable Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibition","volume":"6","author":"Bikbaeva","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nanoscale Adv."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1186\/s11671-022-03661-z","article-title":"A Facile Preparation of Multicolor Carbon Dots","volume":"17","author":"Yu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nanoscale Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lakowicz, J.R. (2006). Principles of Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-46312-4"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1016\/j.snb.2011.07.001","article-title":"Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Choline Based on MnO2 Nanoparticles and Choline Oxidase\/Polyelectrolyte Layers","volume":"159","author":"Dontsova","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sens. Actuators B Chem."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1002\/elan.201100535","article-title":"Manganese Dioxide Nanostructures as a Novel Electrochemical Mediator for Thiol Sensors","volume":"24","author":"Eremenko","year":"2012","journal-title":"Electroanalysis"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4029","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-026-72726-9","article-title":"Multistate Photoswitches beyond on and Off","volume":"17","author":"Xu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14340","DOI":"10.1039\/D3RA01646C","article-title":"Deep Insights to Explain the Mechanism of Carbon Dot Formation at Various Reaction Times Using the Hydrothermal Technique: FT-IR, 13 C-NMR, 1 H-NMR, and UV-Visible Spectroscopic Approaches","volume":"13","author":"Mohammed","year":"2023","journal-title":"RSC Adv."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.1090\/qam\/10666","article-title":"A Method for the Solution of Certain Non-Linear Problems in Least Squares","volume":"2","author":"Levenberg","year":"1944","journal-title":"Q. Appl. Math."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6104","DOI":"10.1039\/C5NR01080B","article-title":"One Pot Synthesis of Highly Luminescent Polyethylene Glycol Anchored Carbon Dots Functionalized with a Nuclear Localization Signal Peptide for Cell Nucleus Imaging","volume":"7","author":"Yang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nanoscale"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107197","DOI":"10.1016\/j.orgel.2025.107197","article-title":"Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-Doped Carbon Dots with Excellent Fluorescent Thermal Stability for Anti-Counterfeiting and Information Encryption","volume":"139","author":"Ahmed","year":"2025","journal-title":"Org. Electron."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Socrates, G. (2004). Infrared and Raman Characteristic Group Frequencies: Tables and Charts, John Wiley & Sons."}],"container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-4991\/16\/17\/1066\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T08:27:07Z","timestamp":1787819227000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-4991\/16\/17\/1066"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"references-count":34,"journal-issue":{"issue":"17","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["nano16171066"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nano16171066","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-4991"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-4991","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]}}}