Advancements in Tumor Diagnostics through Carbon Dot‐Assisted Photoacoustic Imaging

Abstract Serendipitously discovered, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted significant attention as a potential contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) in the biomedical sector. CDs play an essential role in PAI, contributing significantly to the early detection of diseases and monitoring treatment progress, particularly in tumor imaging. This review emphasizes the role of CDs in the domain of PAI, highlighting their characteristics like biocompatibility, enhanced spatial resolution, optical absorption in the NIR region, and facile surface functionalization for tumor‐ targeted imaging. The study explores the use of CDs for enhancing spatial resolution in PAI for improved detection and visualization of tumors in organs such as the breast, cervical, liver, gastrointestinal, skin, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and others. Challenges associated with PAI, such as optimizing the signal‐to‐noise ratio and ensuring stability under physiological conditions, have also been discussed.