ABSTRACT Fungal infections remain a global health challenge due to the limited specificity, toxicity concerns, and rapid emergence of resistance associated with conventional antifungal agents. Nanomaterial‐based strategies have therefore attracted increasing attention as alternative antifungal approaches. Among these, carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a versatile class of 0D nanocarbons, distinguished by favorable biocompatibility, high surface area to volume ratio, and tunable optical/surface properties. These features collectively enable broad‐spectrum antifungal activity through multiple, often synergistic mechanisms. This review critically summarizes recent progress in antifungal CD‐based nanomaterials, with an emphasis on their mechanisms of action and structure‐function relationships. Particular attention is given to rational design strategies, including heteroatom doping, surface functionalization, and hybridization, that enable enhanced antifungal efficacy and selectivity. In addition, emerging applications of antifungal CDs in food preservation, biomedicine, and agricultural protection are discussed, alongside the key challenges that currently limit their translational potential. Overall, this review highlights carbon dots as a promising and adaptable nanomaterial platform for the next‐generation antifungal technologies.
Zhu et al. (2026) studied this question.