One-step synthesized amphiphilic carbon dots for the super-resolution imaging of endoplasmic reticulum in live cells.

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy provides a powerful tool for visualizing the ultrastructure and dynamics of subcellular organelles, however, the photobleaching of organelle trackers have limited the application of STED imaging in living cells. Here, we report photostable and amphiphilic carbon dots (Phe-CDs) with bright orange fluorescence a simple one-pot hydrothermal treatment of -phenylenediamine and phenylalanine. The obtained Phe-CDs not only had high brightness (quantum yield ∼18%) but also showed excellent photostability under ultraviolet irradiation.