Development of Non-Cadmium I-III-VI Quantum Dots and their Surface Modification for Biomedical Applications

Abstract:

I-III-VI QDs (CuInS₂/ZnS or AgInS₂/ZnS core/shell structures) possess low toxicity, and are a logical replacement for cadmium-based QDs for biomedical applications. Our synthesis of I-III-VI QDs is based on thermal decomposition of less toxic precursors and can be easily scaled up for mass production for sustainable and reliable imaging and sensing experiments. Through nonstoichiometric composition adjustment, we synthesized I-III-VI QDs with reliable and controllable optical properties, including high QYs and tunable photoluminescence. We also developed new zwitterionic amphiphiles and applied them to encapsulate I-III-VI QDs to achieve colloidal stability in proteinaceous solutions with wide pH/ionic ranges, low non-specific binding, and easily bio-conjugation. On the basis of these developments, we applied our I-III-VI QDs in cellular imaging to to specifically target human brain tumor cells.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 915)
• Pages: 163-168
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.915.163
• Online since: March 2018
• Authors: Xiao Shan Zhu*, Violeta G. Demillo, Si Qi Chen, Athanasios G. Mamalis
• Keywords: I-III-VI Quantum Dots (QDs), Surface Modification, Tumor Cell Imaging

References

[1] A. Albanese, P. Tang, W. Chan, Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, 2012, 14, 1-16.

[2] H. Sun, F. Zhang, H. Wei, B. Yang, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2013, 1, 6485-6494.

[3] B. A. Rzigalinski, J. S. Strobl, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 2009, 238, 280–288.

[4] S. Lowe, N. M. O'Brien-Simpson, L. A. Connal, Polymer Chemistry, 2015, 6, 198-212.

[5] H. Zhong, Z. Bai, B. Zou, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2012, 3, 3167-3175.

[6] R. Xie, M. Rutherford, X. Peng, Journal of the American Chemistry Society, 2009, 131, 5691-5697.

[7] J. Park, S. W. Kim, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 3745.

[8] L. D. Trizio, M. Prato, A. Genovese, A. Casu, M. Povia, R. Simonutti, M. J. P. Alcocer, C. D'Andrea, F. Tassone, L. Manna, Chemistry of Materials, 2012, 24, 2400.

DOI: 10.1021/cm301211e

[9] G. Karakus, Z. Polat, A. Yenidunya, H. Zengin, C. Karakus, Polymer International, 2013, 62, 492-495.

[10] E. Peng, E. Shi, G. Choo, Y. Sheng, J. M. Xue, New Journal of Chemistry, 2013, 37, 2051-(2060).

[11] J. Sun, Z. Yu, C. Hong, C. Pan, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2012, 33, 811−818.

[12] J. Yuan, S. Lin, J. Shen, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 2008, 66, 90-95.

[13] E. Muro, T. Pons, N. Lequeux, A. Fragola, N. Sanson, Z. Lenkei, B. Dubertret, Journal of the American Chemistry Society, 2010, 132, 4556-4557.

DOI: 10.1021/ja1005493

[14] V. V. Breus, C. D. Heyes, K. Tron, G. U. Nienhaus, ACS Nano, 2009, 3, 2573–2580.

[15] H. Choi, S. L Gibbs, J. Lee, S. Kim, Y. Ashitate, F. Liu, H. Hyun, G. Park, Y. Xie, S. Bae, M. Henary, J. V Frangioni, Nature Biotechnology, 2013, 31, 148-153.

DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2468