Highly luminescent SiO(2) beads with multiple QDs: Preparation conditions and size distributions

Multiple CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were incorporated in SiO(2) beads using a reverse micelle route (i.e., a water-in-oil emulsion) and a precursor solution of SiO(2)-coated CdTe QDs as the water phase. The QDs in the beads retained their initial photoluminescence efficiency (56%) because they had a thin SiO(2) shell that prevented removal of the ligands from their surface during incorporation. Because of the SiO(2) sol in the precursor solution, the size of the water pools in water-in-oil emulsion increased to 700±320nm compared to 25±5nm when an aqueous CdTe QD solution was used. The size of the beads prepared in the water pools depended strongly on the preparation parameters (water phase injection speed, tetraethyl orthosilicate concentration, reaction time). The beads were easily separated into three size ranges (60±23, 160±40, and 650±200nm) by filtering for further application.     

Highly photoluminescent multilayer QD-glass films prepared by LbL self-assembly

A novel and facile preparation method for layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembled films incorporating quantum dots (QDs) and having intense photoluminescence (PL) from blue to red is presented. Functional sol-gel-derived glass layers prepared by the hydrolysis of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) or 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) have been used as a linkage between QD layers. Absorption, PL spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were employed for characterization, which revealed that the QDs in the prepared films had a nearly close-packed coverage and were not aggregated. The PL efficiencies of the QDs (CdTe or ZnSe, both are thioglycolic acid-stabilized) dispersed in the films were roughly half that of the initial colloidal solutions but reached 24% before a refractive index correction. The thickness of the red-emitting film with 10 CdTe QD layers was approximately 50 nm. The concentration of QDs in the film derived from the first absorption peak was approximately 0.01 M. Because the PL starts to show a red shift, the obtained concentration is practically the ultimate one in the glass matrix. The mercapto, amino, and carboxyl groups play important roles in LbL self-assembling processes.     

超声电化学快速制备近红外CdTe量子点与细胞成像

针对当前水溶性量子点合成路线复杂、量子产率低的现状, 在无需N₂保护的条件下, 采用简便的超声电化学方法快速合成了CdTe量子点前驱体;并对不同条件下制得的前驱体加热回流, 得到水溶性、高质量的近红外CdTe量子点。产物的形貌、结构和组成通过高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)、X-射线粉末衍射(XRD)等手段进行了表征。考察了超声电化学参数和回流条件对量子点荧光性质的影响。通过控制电流脉冲宽度、反应时间、反应温度等参数, 实现了CdTe量子点前驱体的可控制备;通过调节加热回流条件得到不同荧光发射波长的量子点;选用602 nm近红外发射波长的CdTe量子点标记了子宫颈癌细胞(Hela), 并采用共聚焦技术实现了肿瘤细胞的显微成像观察。和传统的量子点合成方法相比, 超声电化学方法具有合成路线简单、参数易调可控的特点;为高品质量子点的快速制备提供了新的思路, 拓展了超声电化学在纳米材料制备领域的应用。     

Effect of CdS Interlayer on Properties of CdTe Based Quantum Dots

Highly luminescent thioglycolic acid-capped CdTe-based core/shell quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized through encapsulating CdTe QDs in various inorganic shells including CdS, ZnS and CdZnS. CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs exhibited a significant redshift of emission peaks (a maximum emission peak of 652 nm for the core/shell QDs and 575 nm for CdTe cores) with increasing shell thickness. In contrast, the redshift of photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength of CdTe/ZnS QDs was less than 15 nm. The PL peak wavelengths of the core/shell QDs depended strongly on core size and shell thickness. The PL quantum yields (QYs) of the CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs are up to 67 % while that of CdTe/ZnS core/shell QDs is 45 %. A composite CdZnS shell made CdTe cores a high PL QY up to 51 % and broadly adjusted PL spectra (a maximum PL peak wavelength of 664 nm). The epitaxial growth of the shell was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis and luminescence decay experiments. Because of high PL QYs, tunable PL spectra, and low toxicity from a ZnS surface layer, CdTe/CdZnS core/shell QDs will be great potential for bioapplications.     

An alternative aqueous synthetic route to preparing CdTe quantum dots with tunable photoluminescence

An aqueous synthetic route has been developed for the preparation of mercaptosuccinic acid（MSA）-capped CdTe quantum dots （QDs） using TeO₂ as tellurium source and sodium borohydride as reductant.The size and the emission color of CdTe QDs can be tuned by varying the reflux time.The obtained QDs were characterized by photoluminescence（PL） spectroscopy,X-ray powder diffraction（XRD） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy（HRTEM）.The results show that the CdTe QDs were of zinc-blende crystal structure in a sphere-like shape.     

超声电化学快速制备近红外CdTe量子点与细胞成像

针对当前水溶性量子点合成路线复杂、量子产率低的现状,在无需N2保护的条件下,采用简便的超声电化学方法快速合成了CdTe量子点前驱体;并对不同条件下制得的前驱体加热回流,得到水溶性、高质量的近红外CdTe量子点。产物的形貌、结构和组成通过高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)、X-射线粉末衍射(XRD)等手段进行了表征。考察了超声电化学参数和回流条件对量子点荧光性质的影响。通过控制电流脉冲宽度、反应时间、反应温度等参数,实现了CdTe量子点前驱体的可控制备;通过调节加热回流条件得到不同荧光发射波长的量子点;选用602 nm近红外发射波长的CdTe量子点标记了子宫颈癌细胞(Hela),并采用共聚焦技术实现了肿瘤细胞的显微成像观察。和传统的量子点合成方法相比,超声电化学方法具有合成路线简单、参数易调可控的特点;为高品质量子点的快速制备提供了新的思路,拓展了超声电化学在纳米材料制备领域的应用。     

Highly luminescent CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S quantum dots coated with thickness-controlled SiO2 shell through silanization

A silanization technique of hydrophobic quantum dots (QDs) was applied to SiO(2)-coated CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S QDs to precisely control the SiO(2) shell thickness and retain the original high photoluminescence (PL) properties of the QDs. Hydrophobic CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S core-shell QDs with PL peak wavelengths of 600 and 652 nm were prepared by a facile organic route by using oleic acid (OA) as a capping agent. The QDs were silanized by using partially hydrolyzed tetraethyl orthosilicate by replacing surface OA. These silanized QDs were subsequently encapsulated in a SiO(2) shell by a reverse micelles synthesis. The silanization plays an important role for the QDs to be coated with a homogeneous SiO(2) shell and retain a high PL efficiency in water. Transmission electron microscopy observation shows that the shells are 1-9 nm with final particle sizes of 10-25 nm, depending on the initial QD size. In the case of short reaction time (6 h), the QDs were coated with a very thin SiO(2) layer because no visible SiO(2) shell was observed but transferred into the water phase. The silica coating does not change the PL peak wavelength of the QDs. The full width at half-maximum of PL was decreased 4 nm after coating for QDs emitting at both 600 and 652 nm. The PL efficiency of the SiO(2)-coated is up to 40%, mainly determined by the initial PL efficiency of the underlying CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S QDs.     

应用于热控的壳厚可控核壳结构SiO2@TiO2颗粒制备

利用St觟ber方法合成了平均粒径在800 nm,球形度、单分散性良好的SiO2微球,再将其作为制备核壳结构SiO2@TiO2颗粒的内核。利用钛酸四丁酯水解反应,在SiO2内核上包覆制备了壳厚在30～100 nm的TiO2壳层,TiO2壳层厚度可根据水解反应中钛酸四丁酯的量调控。将制得的SiO2@TiO2核壳结构颗粒在550℃煅烧1 h,氧化钛壳层的晶型转变为锐钛矿相,晶型转变为锐钛矿相的TiO2更适合作为填料应用于近红外反射涂层。本文合成厚度可控SiO2@TiO2微球的方法是一种改进的溶胶凝胶方法,即在溶胶凝胶方法的基础上增加水热合成工艺。另外,本合成方法工艺简单,无表面活性剂或者耦合剂的引入。     

Modification of CdTe quantum dots as temperature-insensitive bioprobes

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in aqueous solution with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as the stabilizer. The photoluminescence (PL) of CdTe QDs (3.5nm) is found to be temperature-dependent: as the temperature arising from 278K to 323K, the PL intensity declines to 50.2% of its original and PL emission peak shows obvious red-shift ( approximately 7nm). After modification of the QDs surface with denatured ovalbumin, the PL is more temperature-insensitive than before. The PL intensity retains more than 70% of its original and the emission peak shows less red-shift ( approximately 2nm). Moreover, it is found that the PL intensity and wavelength of denatured ovalbumin coated CdTe QDs are reversible during heating (323K)-cooling (278K) cycles. All the studies provide an important theoretical basis for searching temperature-insensitive bioprobes.     

Quantitative analysis of the photodegradation of emitting CdTe nanocrystals dispersed in glass films

CdTe nanocrystals (NCs, green- and red-emitting) prepared by an aqueous method were embedded into transparent glass films (15-20 microm thick) using a sol-gel method. Photodegradation of the NCs in the films due to UV irradiation (365 nm) was investigated quantitatively by measuring the PL efficiency as a function of the irradiation time for various irradiation intensities at several temperatures. Since CdTe NCs prepared by an aqueous method incorporate sulfur atoms from the surfactant (thioglycolic acid) during prolonged reflux in an alkaline region, the surface of red-emitting NCs (3.9 nm phi) is much more sulfur rich than that of green-emitting ones (2.6 nm phi), as previously reported. Due to this composition difference, the degradation behaviors of the two types of NCs differ significantly. The photodegradation of green-emitting glass films depended linearly on the irradiation intensity, whereas that of red-emitting ones showed a quadratic dependence. The activation energies of the photodegradation for both types of films were similar, 304 +/- 9 and 288 +/- 7 meV/particle, respectively. The NCs in the film were more than 2 orders of magnitude more robust than those in colloidal solutions. Comparison of the degradation of the glass films in air and in an Ar atmosphere revealed that the main mechanism of the photodegradation of the green-emitting NCs was oxidization from the first electronically excited state. The mechanism of the red-emitting NCs was not oxidization but a surface change probably related to a surfactant reaction.     

水溶性的高荧光CdTe/CdSeⅡ型核壳量子点的合成与表征

用L-半胱氨酸(L-cysteine)作为稳定剂,以制备的CdTe量子点为核模板,水相合成了具有近红外发光的Ⅱ型核壳CdTe/CdSe半导体量子点。实验考察了合成温度,核模板的尺寸和组分比等因素对合成高质量的CdTe/CdSe量子点的影响。用紫外-可见吸收和荧光光谱研究了合成的量子点的光学性质。在优化的合成条件下,荧光发射光谱在586～753nm范围连续可调,荧光量子产率高达68%;通过X-射线衍射(XRD),X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和透射电镜(TEM)对合成的Ⅱ型核壳CdTe/CdSe量子点进行了结构和形貌表征。     

A fluorescent probe for the detection of Hg2+ based on rhodamine derivative and modified CdTe quantum dots

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this paper, Zn doped CdTe quantum dots (CdTe:Zn QDs) was synthesized and imbedded in silica particles via a reverse microemulsion method to form a QDs/silica...     

一锅合成绿色到近红外发射的CdTe量子点

以3-巯基丙酸(MPA)为稳定剂,采用水相合成法制备了从绿色到近红外发射的CdTe量子点。系统研究了反应液pH值、镉和碲的物质的量之比及镉和3-巯基丙酸的物质的量之比等实验条件对CdTe量子点体系的发射波长和荧光量子产率的影响。在pH值为10.5,且nCd2+∶nTe2-∶nMPA=1∶0.05∶1.1的条件下,回流0.5 h,CdTe量子点体系在569 nm波长处的荧光量子产率达到30.8%;在7 h的回流时间内,制备的量子点的波长覆盖范围为525～730 nm。分别用X射线粉末衍射、透射电镜和红外光谱对CdTe量子点的晶体结构、形貌及表面基团进行表征。     

Selective collection and detection of MCF-7 breast cancer cells using aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads and quantum dots based nano-bio-probes

A novel strategy for selective collection and detection of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) based on aptamer–cell interaction was developed. Mucin 1 protein (MUC1) aptamer (Apt1) was covalently conjugated to magnetic beads to capture MCF-7 cell through affinity interaction between Apt1 and MUC1 protein that overexpressed on the surface of MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, a nano-bio-probe was constructed by coupling of nucleolin aptamer AS1411 (Apt2) to CdTe quantum dots (QDs) which were homogeneously coated on the surfaces of monodispersed silica nanoparticles (SiO₂ NPs). The nano-bio-probe displayed similar optical and electrochemical performances to free CdTe QDs, and remained high affinity to nucleolin overexpressed cells through the interaction between AS1411 and nucleolin protein. Photoluminescence (PL) and square-wave voltammetric (SWV) assays were used to quantitatively detect MCF-7 cells. Improved selectivity was obtained by using these two aptamers together as recognition elements simultaneously, compared to using any single aptamer. Based on the signal amplification of QDs coated silica nanoparticles (QDs/SiO₂), the detection sensitivity was enhanced and a detection limit of 201 and 85 cells mL⁻¹ by PL and SWV method were achieved, respectively. The proposed strategy could be extended to detect other cells, and showed potential applications in cell imaging and drug delivery.     

油溶性CuInS2/ZnS量子点的制备及其温敏性聚丙烯酰胺胶束介导的水相转移

采用非热注法成功制备了高质量的油溶性CuInS2/ZnS核壳量子点,量子点的荧光发射峰在可见光到近红外范围内可调(550～800 nm),且荧光量子产率最高达80%。本文进一步利用具有温敏特性的聚丙烯酰胺胶束作相转移剂,成功地将油溶性的CuInS2/ZnS核壳量子点转移入水相。水相中自组装形成的CuInS2/ZnS量子点-胶束复合物不仅具有良好的荧光性质,而且胶束原有的灵敏的热响应性被保留。这些研究初步表明,无镉的低毒的CuInS2/ZnS量子点可作为纳米胶束的荧光示踪探针。     

油溶性CuInS2/ZnS量子点的制备及其温敏性聚丙烯酰胺胶束介导的水相转移

采用非热注法成功制备了高质量的油溶性CuInS₂/ZnS核壳量子点, 量子点的荧光发射峰在可见光到近红外范围内可调(550~800 nm), 且荧光量子产率最高达80%。本文进一步利用具有温敏特性的聚丙烯酰胺胶束作相转移剂, 成功地将油溶性的CuInS₂/ZnS核壳量子点转移入水相。水相中自组装形成的CuInS₂/ZnS量子点-胶束复合物不仅具有良好的荧光性质, 而且胶束原有的灵敏的热响应性被保留。这些研究初步表明, 无镉的低毒的CuInS₂/ZnS量子点可作为纳米胶束的荧光示踪探针。     

Luminescent properties of water-soluble denatured bovine serum albumin-coated CdTe quantum dots

Chemically reduced bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been used to modify the surface of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QDs). It is demonstrated that the denatured BSA (dBSA) can be conjugated to the surface of CdTe QDs and thereby efficiently improve the chemical stability and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) of the QDs. It is inferred that a shell-like complex structure CdTe(x)(dBSA)(1-x) will form on the surface of the CdTe "core", resulting in the enhancement of PL intensity and the blue shift of the PL peak. This study of the effects of pH and dBSA concentration on optical properties of dBSA-coated QDs suggests that, at pH 6-9, the solution of dBSA-coated CdTe QDs can keep substantial stability and fluorescent brightness, whereas further increase of pH value leads to a dramatic decrease in PL QY and chemical stability. On the other hand, too high or too low initial dBSA concentration in the QD solution results in a decrease of PL QY for dBSA-coated CdTe QDs. This study provides a new approach of preparing stable water-soluble QDs with high PL QY and controllable luminescent colors for biological labeling applications.     

Microwave-assisted Synthesis of CdTe Quantum Dots Using 3-Mercaptopropionic Acid as Both a Reducing Agent and a Stabilizer

In this paper, a facile synthetic approach to prepare CdTe quantum dots(QDs) with high luminescence via a one-pot microwave irradiation reaction route using 3-mercaptopropionic acid(MPA) as both a sodium tellurite reducer and a capping molecule was described, and the mechanism of the formation of CdTe QDs was elucidated. In this approach, CdTe QDs with six different emission wavelengths of 553, 567, 577, 595, 608 and 615 nm were obtained via changing the refluxing time and the quantum yields(QY) of these QDs were 40.6%, 55.3%, 63.6%, 43.4%, 37.4% and 29.7%, respectively. The characterization results of X-ray powder diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) indicate that the obtained QDs have a pure cubic zinc blended structure with a spherical shape. No toxic gases were released during the preparation process, indicating that the method is relatively fast, cheap and environmentally friendly.     

Silica Coating of Water-Soluble CdTe/CdS Core-Shell Nanocrystals by Microemulsion Method

"Using Te powder as a tellurium source and Na2S as a sulfur source, core-shell CdTe/CdS NPs were synthesized at 50 oC. UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to probe the effect of CdS passivation on the CdTe quantum dots. As the thickness of CdS shell increases, there is a red-shift in the optical absorption spectra, as well as the PL spectra. The broadening absorption peaks and PL spectra indicate that the size distributions of CdTe/CdS NPs widen increasingly with the increase of CdS coverage. The PL spectra also show that the fluorescence intensity of CdTe QDs will increase when the particles are covered with CdS shell with ratio of S/Te less than 1.0, otherwise it will decrease if the ratio of S/Te is larger than 1.0. Furthermore, the (CdTe/CdS)@SiO2 particles were prepared using a water-in-oil microemulsion method at room temperature in which hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate leads to the formation of monodispersed silica nanospheres. The obtained (CdTe/CdS)@SiO2 particles show bright photoluminescence with their fluorescence intensity being enhanced 18.5% compared with that of CdTe NPs. TEM imaging shows that the diameter of these composite particles is 50 nm. These nanoparticles are suitable for biomarker applications since they are much smaller than cellular dimensions."     

Study the damage of DNA molecules induced by three kinds of aqueous nanoparticles

In this paper, the interaction of DNA molecules with aqueous CdTe quantum dots (CdTe QDs), CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles (CdTe/SiO₂ NPs), and Mn-doped ZnSe quantum dots (Mn:ZnSe d-dots) was studied with ethidium bromide as a probe. The purpose of this work was to study the damage of DNA molecules induced by these three kinds of water-soluble nanoparticles. It was found that ionic strength, pH value and UV irradiation influenced the PL emission properties of CdTe QDs, CdTe/SiO₂ NPs and Mn:ZnSe d-dots, and also influenced the interaction of DNA molecules with them. Among the three kinds of nanoparticles, DNA molecules were most easily damaged by CdTe QDs whether in the dark or under UV irradiation. The CdTe/SiO₂ NPs led to much less DNA damage when compared with CdTe QDs, as a silica overcoating layer could isolate the QDs from the external environment. Mn:ZnSe d-dots as a new class of non-cadmium doped QDs demonstrated almost no damage for DNA molecules, which have great potentials as fluorescent labels in the applications of biomedical assays, imaging of cells and tissues, even in vivo investigations.