Herein, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, perylene was explored as a carbon source and urea was utilized as N-source for

the synthesis of hydrophilic N-doped carbon dots (PN-CDs), as superior photothermal bactericidal agent. The strategic

development of yellowish-green emissive PN-CDs was carried out following a nitration and carbonization of perylene

via hydrothermal method. The PN-CDs exhibited polychromatic emissions in the range of 500–640 nm when excited at

various excitation wavelength (340–590 nm). However, the maximum emission was located at 543 nm corresponding to

yellowish green at the excitation of 468 nm. The as-prepared PN-CDs demonstrated outstanding photothermal property

when radiated with NIR-light (808 nm), exhibiting photothermal conversion efficiency of ~ 56.6%. The superior NIRradiation

harvesting phenomenon was utilized to neutralize pathogenic bacteria, demonstrating it as a suitable bactericidal

candidate invitro. The efficient antibacterial activity might be due to hyperthermia effect together with amplified reactive

oxygen species causing rupture of bacterial membrane and concomitant leakage of cytoplasmic fluid. This study presents

a possible alternative to image-guided phototherapeutic bactericidal agent.