ABOUT
    Keenan
    Mintz
    Research Scientist II
    786-262-2487
    Selected publications

    24. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., The use of nanotechnology to combat liver cancer: Progress and Perspectives. Biochim. Biophys. Acta Rev. Cancer 2021, 1876, 188621.

    23. Zhang, W.; Sigdel, G.; Mintz, K. J.; Seven, E. S.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, C.; Leblanc, R. M., Carbon dots: A future blood-brain barrier penetrating nanomedicine and drug nanocarrier. Int. J. Nanomedicine 2021, 16, 5003-5016.

    22. da Silva, R. L. C. G.; Sharma, S. K.; Paudyal, S.; Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M.; Caseli, L., Surface chemistry studies of the formation of mixed stearic acid/phenylalanine dehydrogenase Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films. Langmuir 2021, 37, 7771-7779.

    21. Zhou, Y.; El-Metwally, A. E.; Chen, J.; Cilingir, E. K.; Walters, B.; Mintz, K. J.; Martin, C.; Ferreira, B. C. L. B.; Zhang, W.; Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Serafim, L. F.; Blackwelder, P. L.; Wikramanayake, A. H.; Peng, Z.; Leblanc, R. M., Gel-like carbon dots: A high-performance future photocatalyst. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 2021, 599, 519-532. 

    20. Cilingir, E. K.; Seven, E. S.; Zhou, Y.; Walters, B. M.; Mintz, K. J.; Pandey, R. R.; Wikramanayake, A. H.; Chusuei, C. C.; Vanni, S.; Graham, R. M.; Leblanc, R. M., Metformin derived carbon dots: Highly biocompatible fluorescent nanomaterials as mitochondrial targeting and blood-brain barrier penetrating biomarkers. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 2021, 592, 485-497.

    19. Martinez, J. D.; Arrieta, E.; Naranjo, A.; Monsalve, P.; Mintz, K. J.; Peterson, J.; Arboleda, A.; Durkee, H.; Aguilar, M. C.; Pelaez, D.; Dubovy, S. R.; Miller, D.; Leblanc, R.; Amescua, G.; Parel, J.-M., Rose Bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy: A pilot safety study. Cornea 2021, 40(8),1036-1043.

    18.    Mintz, K. J.; Bartoli, M.; Rovere, M.; Zhou, Y. Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Paudyal, S.; Chen, J.; Domena, J. B.; Liyanage, P. Y.; Sampson, R.; Khadka, D.; Huang, S.; Chusuei, C. C.; Tagliaferro, A.; Leblanc, R. M., A deep investigation into the structure of carbon dots. Carbon 2021, 173, 433-447.

    17.    Peterson, J. C.; Arrieta, E.; Ruggeri, M.; Silgado, J. D.; Mintz, K. J.; Weisson, E. H; Leblanc, R. M.; Kochevar, I.; Manns, F.; Parel, J.-M., Detection of singlet oxygen luminescence for experimental corneal Rose Bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy. Biomed. Opt. Express 2021, 12, 272-287.

    16.    Peng, Z.; Zhou, Y.; Ji, C.; Pardo, J.; Mintz, K. J.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Graham, R. M.; Yan, G.; Leblanc, R. M., Facile synthesis of “boron-doped” carbon dots and their applications in visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1560-1576.

    15.    Zhou, Y.; Mintz, K. J.; Cheng, L.; Chen, J.; Ferreira, B. C. L. B.; Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Liyanage, P. Y.; Seven, E. S.; Miloserdov, N.; Pandey, R. R.; Quiroga, B.; Blackwelder, P. L.; Chusuei, C. C.; Li, S.; Peng, Z.; Leblanc, R. M., Direct conjugation of distinct carbon dots as lego-like building blocks for the assembly of versatile drug nanocarriers. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 2020, 576, 412-425.

    14.    Paudyal, S.; Sharma, S. K.; da Silva, R. L. C. G.; Mintz, K. J.; Liyanage, P. Y.; Al-Youbi, A. O.; Bashammakh, A. S.; El-Shahawi, M. S.; Leblanc, R. M., Tyrosinase enzyme Langmuir monolayer: Surface chemistry and spectroscopic study. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 2020, 564, 254-263.

    13.    da Silva, R. L. C. G.; Sharma, S. K.; Paudyal, S.; Mintz, K. J.; Caseli, L.; Leblanc, R. M., Surface chemistry and spectroscopic studies of the native phenylalanine dehydrogenase Langmuir monolayer at the air/aqueous NaCl interface. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 2020, 560, 458-466.

    12.    Zhou, Y.; Mintz, K. J.; Sharma, S. K.; Leblanc, R. M., Carbon dots: Diverse preparation, application, and perspective in surface chemistry. Langmuir 2019, 35, 9115-9132. 11.    Seven, E. S.; Sharma, S. K.; Meziane, D.; Zhou, Y.; Mintz, K. J.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Leblanc, R. M., Close-packed Langmuir monolayers of saccharide-based carbon dots at the air-subphase interface. Langmuir 2019, 35, 3708-6718.

    10.    Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Graham, R. M.; Mintz, K. J.; Zhou, Y.; Vanni, S.; Peng, Z.; Leblanc, R. M., Triple conjugated carbon dots as a nano-drug delivery model for glioblastoma brain tumors. Nanoscale 2019, 11, 6192-6205.

    9.    Mintz, K. J.; Zhou, Y.; Leblanc, R. M.; Recent development of carbon dots regarding their photophysical properties, photoluminescence mechanism, and core structure. Nanoscale 2019, 11, 4634-4652.

    8.    Zhou, Y.; Zahran, E. M.; Perez, J.; Peng, Z.; Quiroga, B. A.; Mintz, K. J.; Liyanage, P. L.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Leblanc, R. M., Size-dependent photocatalytic activity of carbon dots with surface-state determined photoluminescence. Appl. Catal. B 2019, 248, 157-166.

    7.    Mintz, K. J.; Mercado, G.; Zhou, Y.; Ji, Y.; Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Liyanage, P. Y.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Dallman, J.; Leblanc, R. M., Tryptophan carbon dots and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, Colloids Surf. B 2019, 176 488-493.

    6.    Liyanage, P. L.; Graham, R. M.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Mintz, K. J.; Zhou, Y.; Harper, J. K.; Wu, W.; Wikramanayake, A. H.; Vanni, S.; Leblanc, R. M., Carbon nitride dots: A selective bioimaging nanomaterial. Bioconjugate Chem. 2019, 30 (1), 111-123.

    5.    Mintz, K. J.; Guerrero, B.; Leblanc, R. M., Photoinduced electron transfer in carbon dots with long wavelength photoluminescence. J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, 122 (51), 29507-29515.

    4.    Mintz, K.; Waidely, E.; Zhou, Y.; Peng, Z.; Al-Youbi, A. O.; Bashammakh, A. S.; El-Shahawi, M. S.; Leblanc, R. M., Carbon dots and gold nanoparticles based immunoassay for detection of alpha-L-fucosidase. Anal. Chim. Acta 2018, 1041, 114-121.

    3.    Zhou, Y.; Mintz, K.; Oztan, C.; Hettiarachchi, S.; Peng, Z.; Seven, E.; Liyanage, P.; De La Torre, S.; Celik, E.; Leblanc, R., Embedding carbon dots in superabsorbent polymers for additive manufacturing. Polymers 2018, 10 (8), 921-932.

    2.    Zhou, Y.; Liyanage, P. Y.; Geleroff, D. L.; Peng, Z.; Mintz, K. J.; Hettiarachchi, S. D.; Pandey, R. R.; Chusuei, C. C.; Blackwelder, P. L.; Leblanc, R. M., Photoluminescent carbon dots: A mixture of heterogeneous fractions. ChemPhysChem 2018, 19, 2589-2597.

    1.    Haq, M.; Gonzalez, N.; Mintz, K.; Jaja-Chimedza, A.; De Jesus, C.; Lydon, C.; Welch, A.; Berry, J., Teratogenicity of ochratoxin A and degradation product, ochratoxin α, in the zebrafish (danio rerio) embryo model of vertebrate development. Toxins 2016, 8, 40-50.

     

    Presentations

    10. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Development of structural models for three carbon dots”. American             Chemical Society National Meeting (Atlanta, GA, USA, August 22-26, 2021, virtual oral presentation).

    9. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “A deep investigation into the structure of carbon dots”. NanoFlorida 2020 (Virtual, September 25, 2020, poster presentation)

    8. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Optimization of carbon dots’ emission wavelength for biological applications”. American Chemical Society National Meeting (Virtual, cancelled from Philadelphia, PA, USA, March 22-26, 2020, poster presentation, https://doi.org/10.1021/scimeetings.0c00887).

    7. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Preparation of red emissive carbon dots to optimize their applications”. University of Miami Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Symposium (Coral Gables, FL, USA, March 5, 2020, poster presentation).

    6. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Preparation of red emissive carbon dots for biomedical applications”. SERMACS 2019 (Savannah, GA, USA, October 20-23, 2019, oral presentation).

    5. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M.; et al. “Tryptophan carbon dots and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier”. Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at the University of Miami (BioNIUM) 2019 NanoDay (Coral Gables, FL, USA, September 20, 2019, poster presentation).

    4. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Recent development of carbon quantum dots regarding their optical properties and photoluminescence mechanism”. Florida Annual Meeting and Exposition (Palm Harbor, FL, USA, May 9-11, 2019, oral presentation).

    3. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc, R. M., “Tryptophan carbon dots and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier”. University of Miami Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Symposium (Coral Gables, FL, USA, March 7, 2019, oral presentation).

    2. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc R. M.; et al. “Photoinduced electron transfer in carbon dots with long wavelength photoluminescence”.  SERMACS 2018 (Augusta, GA, USA, October 31- November 3, 2018, poster presentation).

    1. Mintz, K. J.; Leblanc R. M.; et al. “Tryptophan carbon dots and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier”.  NanoFlorida 2018 (Melbourne, FL, USA, October 5-7, 2018, oral presentation).

    Education

    University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL                                         

    Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (GPA: 3.95)                                                   August 2016-May 2021 Ph.D. advisor: Prof. Roger M. Leblanc

    Florida International University, Miami, FL

    Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (GPA: 3.68)                                           January 2011-December 2015 Undergraduate research advisor: Assoc. Prof. John P. Berry

     

    Awards
    • ACS LEADS conference invitee -  November 2021
    • Graduate school’s Outstanding Research Assistant - April 2021
    • College of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Award - August 2020-May 2021
    • Graduate Student Association's Academic Excellence, Leadership, and Service Awards (AELS) - March 2020 
    • Runner-up, Poster Presentation award, Physical Sciences and Engineering, University of Miami Graduate and Postdoctoral Research Symposium - March 2020
    • Graduate Student Travel Scholarship - November 2019 
    • Sam and Clara Schreiber Chemistry Summer Research Fellowship - May-August 2019
    • Holmes Fellowship - August 2016
    • Zaida C. Morales-Martinez and Howard E. Moore Chemistry Award - April 2015
    • Golden Key Honor Society