Continuous flow scale-up of biofunctionalized defective ZnO quantum dots: A safer inorganic ingredient for skin UV protection.

The versatility of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) exhibiting size-tunable visible photoluminescence has propelled them to the forefront of leading-edge innovations in healthcare. At the nano-bio interface, enhancing the singly-ionized oxygen vacancy defects (V) through holistic, sustainable synthesis protocols driven by the synergistic influence of QDs' nucleation-growth kinetics has implications on their bioactivity, physiochemical, and optical performance. Recently, robust continuous flow platforms have transcended the conventional batch reactors by alleviating the concerns of "hot-spot" formation due to inhomogeneous heat distribution, acute energy consumption, poor quality, and yield. However, complexities exist in translating batch chemistries into flow processes. Here, a unique, rationally designed continuous flow synthesis of luminescent defect-engineered ZnO QDs (E-QDs) via helical-reactor assembly that can adequately synthesize on a large scale is reported. The crux of this lies in the amalgamation of "green chemistry" and flow synthesis, which results in Lamer-mechanism mediated monodispersed E-QDs demonstrating high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 89% under an accurately regulated synthesis environment. Process intensification corroborated that the bio-stable E-QDs manifested admirable photostability, broad-spectrum UV-shielding (400-250 nm), colloidal stability, in vitro biocompatibility against L929 and HaCaT cells, and antioxidant activity. These attributes were better compared to the commercial ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) used for skin UV protection. Delving deeper, the main drivers for the high density of intrinsic V formation (I/I∼42.5) were revealed to be the reactor's hydrodynamic performance and the improvised heating rate (2.5°C/sec). Hence, these E-QDs have potential as a new, safe, and economical multifunctional active ingredient for skin UV protection and antioxidants for treating ROS-mediated disorders. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: UV filters exhibiting questionable UV-attenuation efficacy and phototoxicity are significant impediments to the healthcare industry emphasizing skin cancer prevention. Although least explored, V-governed aberrant photoactive, biological, and surface-reactive qualities of engineered ZnO QDs (E-QDs) have created ample room to investigate these hallmarks for skin UV protection. However, the bottlenecks in stereotypical ZnO QDs production confined by inefficient process control are annihilated by continuous flow strategies. Herein, the high-throughput continuous flow helical reactor assembly was designed and fabricated to successfully showcase optimized transport properties, reproducibility, yield, and quality E-QDs. Anticipating a skyrocketing demand for E-QDs as bioactive-sunscreen components, the comprehensive investigation has demonstrated unprecedented biofunctionality and ROS-scavenging behaviour, even upon UVR exposure, contrary to the traditional nanoparticulate ZnO UV filters.