Characterization of quantum dots using capillary zone electrophoresis

Commercially available quantum dots (QDs) were characterized using CE. The CE instruments were laboratory-built, each being capable of both electrokinetic and hydrodynamic injection. Modes of detection include UV absorption and LIF. The CE-LIF system was further modified to handle microliter sample volumes during injection. Sodium phosphate (5-25 mM, pH 7.5-11) was found to be a good buffer electrolyte. Sodium mercaptoproprionate CdTe/CdS (ADS620) QDs and carboxylic acid CdSe/ZnS (T2-Evitag) QDs yielded high separation efficiencies of N = 1.5x10(6) plates at t(M) = 10 min and N = 1.0x10(5) plates at t(M) = 3.8 min, respectively. Apparently the EDC/sulfo-NHS bioconjugation chemistry worked well with the neutral T2-Evitag QDs, but not so well with the negatively charged ADS620 QDs. This preliminary knowledge will serve as a basis for new CE immunoassay studies of QD-biomolecule conjugates and their immunocomplexes with target analytes.     

Ratiometric fluorescence detection of mercuric ion based on the nanohybrid of fluorescence carbon dots and quantum dots

A novel nanohybrid ratiometric fluorescence probe comprised of carbon dots (C-dots) and hydrophilic CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) has been developed by simply mixing the blue-emission C-dots with red-emission carboxylmethyldithiocarbamate modified CdSe@ZnS QDs (GDTC-QDs). The nanohybrid ratiometric fluorescence probe exhibits dual emissions at 436 nm and 629 nm under a single excitation wavelength. Due to the strong chelating ability of GDTC on the surface of QDs to mercuric ion (Hg²⁺), the fluorescence of the GDTC-QDs in the nanohybrid system could be selectively quenched in the presence of Hg²⁺ while the fluorescence of the C-dots remained constant, resulting in an obviously distinguishable fluorescence color evolution (from red to blue) of the nanohybrid system. The detection limit of this method was found to be as low as 0.1 μM. Furthermore, the recovery result for Hg²⁺ in real samples including tap water and lake water by this method was satisfying, suggesting its potential application for Hg²⁺ sensing.     

The preparation of glutathione-capped CdTe quantum dots and their use in imaging of cells

In this paper, different sizes of glutathione-capped CdTe (GSH/CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) have been prepared directly in aqueous solution. The QDs have tunable fluorescence in the range of 510-670 nm, and they also have high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) without any postpreparative treatment. Furthermore, the QDs have strong resistance to photobleaching, and they also have to be considered as cytocompatible. In addition, for the first time, folic acid was covalently conjugated to the GSH/CdTe QDs for imaging of cancer cells, demonstrating their potentially broad application as biolabels.     

Synthesis of colloidal SnSe quantum dots by electron beam irradiation

Water-soluble orthorhombic colloidal SnSe quantum dots with an average diameter of 4 nm were successfully prepared by a novel irradiation route using an electronic accelerator as a radiation source and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. The quantum dots exhibit a large direct bandgap of 3.89 eV, greatly blue shifted compared with that of bulk SnSe (1.0 eV) due to the quantum confinement effect. The quantum dots show blue photoluminescence at ∼420 nm. The influence of CTAB on the growth of the quantum dots was investigated and a possible reaction/growth mechanism was proposed.     

Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots for the determination of acetone by phosphorescence attenuation

Quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used as highly valuable fluorescent biomarkers and as sensitive (bio)chemical probes. Interestingly, if certain metal impurities are incorporated during the NPs synthesis, phosphorescent QDs with analytical potential can be obtained.     

量子点标记链霉亲和素荧光免疫分析测定雌三醇

以生物素化羊抗兔免疫球蛋白和量子点标记链霉亲和素为荧光探针,采用竞争免疫分析模式,建立了一种灵敏度高、选择性好的检测雌三醇的荧光免疫分析方法.对几种测量参数如温育时间和温度、缓冲溶液pH、试剂浓度等进行了优化;方法的线性范围为0.01～1000ng/mL,检出限0.0029 ng/mL,血清样品加标回收率在91%～117%之间.     

Investigation of the nonspecific interaction between quantum dots and immunoglobulin G using Rayleigh light scattering

Quantum dots (QDs) have been used as a new class of bioprobes in medical imaging in recent years. The study of interaction between QDs and biomacromolecules is important for interpreting biological data. In this work, Rayleigh light scattering (RLS) was employed to investigate the nonspecific interaction between mercaptoacetic acid modified CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (MAA-QDs) and human immunoglobulin G (IgG). The conjugation processes between QDs and IgG in different conditions including addition sequence, pH were carefully studied. The addition of IgG to QDs solution was found to form a fixed size of QDs-IgG conjugate, with the QDs-to-IgG ratio of ∼13, while the addition of QDs to IgG solution resulted in a gradually increased conjugate size, with variable QDs-to-IgG ratio till the binding saturation was reached.     

Dual sensing of oxygen and temperature using quantum dots and a ruthenium complex

A scheme for the simultaneous determination of oxygen and temperature using quantum dots and a ruthenium complex is demonstrated. The luminescent complex [Ru(II)-tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)]²⁺ is immobilized in a non-hydrolytic sol-gel matrix and used as the oxygen sensor. The temperature information is provided by the luminescent emission of core-shell CdSe-ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals immobilized in the same material. Measurements of oxygen and temperature could be performed with associated errors of ±2% of oxygen concentration and ±1 °C, respectively. In addition, it is shown that while the dye luminescence intensity is quenched both by oxygen and temperature, the nanocrystals luminescent emission responds only to temperature. Results presented demonstrate that the combined luminescence response allows the simultaneous assessment of both parameters using a single optical fiber system. In particular, it was shown that a 10% error in the measured oxygen concentration, induced by a change in the sample temperature, could be compensated using the nanocrystals temperature information and a correction function.     

Characterization and separation of semiconductor quantum dots and their conjugates by capillary electrophoresis

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are very important luminescent nanomaterials with a wide range of potential applications. Currently, QDs as labeling probes are broadly used in bioassays, including immunoassay, DNA hybridization, and bioimaging, due to their excellent physical and chemical properties, such as broad excitation spectra, narrow and size‐dependent emission profiles, long fluorescence life time, and good photostability. The characterization of QDs and their conjugates is crucial for their wide bioapplications. CE has become a powerful tool for the separation and characterization of QDs and their conjugates. In this review, some CE separation models of QDs are first introduced, mainly including CZE, CGE, MEKC, and ITP. And then, some key applications, such as the measurements of size, surface charge, and concentration of QDs and the characterization of QDs conjugates (e.g. QD–protein, QD–DNA, QD–small molecule), are also described. Finally, future perspectives are discussed.     

Determination of arsenic based on quenching of CdS quantum dots fluorescence using the gas-diffusion flow injection method

A sequential injection analysis system for determination of arsenic based on hydride generation and fluorescence quenching of mercaptoacetic acid capped cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS-MAA QDs) is described. The generated arsine diffused across the PTFE membrane in a gas-diffusion unit and subsequently interacted with CdS-MAA QDs. The parameters affecting the arsine generation and the fluorescence quenching of QDs were studied. Under the optimum conditions, it was observed that a increase in the concentration of As(III) corresponded well to a decrease in fluorescence intensity according to the Stern-Volmer relationship. The extent of quenching was dependent on the concentration of arsenic in the range of 0.08-3.20 mmol L⁻¹, with the detection limit of 0.07 mg L⁻¹. The precision (%RSD) from eight replicates of the determination of As(III) 1.0 mg L⁻¹ was found to be 1.4%. The proposed method was applied to the determination of arsenic in ground water samples with satisfactory recoveries.     

Characterization of the coupling of quantum dots and immunoglobulin antibodies

Water-soluble quantum dots (QDs) were used to label goat anti-human immunoglobulin antibodies (Abs), and the labeling process was characterized by column purification. The QDs obtained in organic solvent were modified with mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) and became water-soluble. These water-soluble QDs were linked to the antibodies using the coupling reagents ethyl-3-(dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The linking process was shown to be effective by ultra-filter centrifugation and column purification. After comparing the quantities of Abs and water-soluble QDs involved in the linking reaction via column purification, it was found that a molar Abs:QD ratio of >1.2 resulted in most of the water-soluble QDs becoming covalently linked to the Abs. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of Abs and QD–Ab conjugates were very similar to each other, indicating that the secondary structure of Abs remained largely intact after the conjugation. Finally, antigen (Ag)–antibody (Ab) recognition reactions perfomed on the surface of a glass slide showed that the conjugate retained the activity of Abs. This work lends support to the idea of linking biomolecules to QDs, and thus should aid the application of QDs to the life sciences. Figure Firstly in this work, the conjugates of QDs-Ab were separated from EDC&NHS in the column of Sephadex G-100(left up). Then the bioactivity of QDs-Ab was analyzed in the immunoassay (right) and the immunofluorescent signals were detected (left bottom) finally     

CdTe量子点荧光猝灭法测定奥沙利铂中微量银

以谷胱甘肽作为稳定剂,100℃恒温回流,直接合成水溶性CdTe量子点。基于Ag+对合成的CdTe量子点的荧光猝灭效应,建立了测定抗癌药物奥沙利铂中微量银的方法。考察了量子点浓度、缓冲液种类、缓冲液浓度、缓冲液pH和反应时间对银离子测定的影响。当量子点浓度为0.004 g/L时,在0.10 mmol/LpH7.4的磷酸缓冲溶液中,反应时间为5 min,体系的相对荧光强度与Ag+的质量浓度呈良好的线性关系,其线性范围为16.42～98.50μg/L,线性相关系数为0.9975,检出限为0.12μg/L。     

采用一锅法制备量子点/琼脂纳米复合凝胶

以天然高分子琼脂为稳定剂,采用简单便捷的一锅法制备Mn掺杂ZnS量子点/琼脂纳米复合凝胶,琼脂不仅作为制备量子点的稳定剂,同时也是纳米复合凝胶的主要成分。对该纳米复合凝胶中量子点的化学结构和尺寸大小进行了表征,并对纳米复合凝胶的荧光性能和凝胶性能进行了研究。实验结果表明,制备得到的纳米复合凝胶均一稳定,在302 nm紫外光下呈现十分明显的橙红色荧光。在该纳米复合凝胶的透射电子显微镜（TEM）表征中可以观察到大小比较均一、粒径为3 nm左右的纳米粒子,光谱分析结果进一步证实纳米复合凝胶中存在Mn掺杂ZnS量子点。该纳米复合凝胶不仅具有良好的荧光性能,还具有温度刺激响应性可逆溶胶-凝胶转变性能,同时具有较高的溶胶转变温度和较好的温度稳定性。利用这些性能特点,可以方便地制备纳米复合凝胶小球。此外,该纳米复合凝胶还可以被潜在应用于金属离子的荧光检测分析领域。     

A potential visual fluorescence probe for ultratrace arsenic (III) detection by using glutathione-capped CdTe quantum dots

The interaction between mercaptoacetic acid (MA)-capped CdTe QDs, MA-capped CdTe/ZnS QDs or glutathione (GSH)-capped CdTe QDs with As(III) was studied using fluorescence spectrometry. As (III) has a high-affinity to reduced-GSH to form As(SG)₃, and the emission of the GSH-capped CdTe QDs (λ_em. = 612 nm) is quenched effectively. Thus, a novel fluorescence spectrometric method was developed for As (III) determination by using GSH-CdTe QDs. Under optimal conditions, the quenched fluorescence intensity (F₀/F) increased linearly with the concentration of As (III) ranging from 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 25 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹. The limit of detection (3σ) for As (III) was found to be 2 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. This method is potentially useful in visual detection of As (III) under irradiation of the ultraviolet light.     

Studies on bioconjugation of quantum dots using capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

In this paper, we systematically investigated the conjugation of quantum dots (QDs) with certain biomolecules using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) methods. Commercial QDs and aqueous-synthesized QDs in our lab were used as labeling probes, certain bio-macromolecules, such as proteins, antibodies, and enzymes, were used as mode samples, and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfo-succinimide (Sulfo-NHS) were used as linking reagents. We studied the effects of certain factors such as the isoelectric points (pIs) of bio-macromolecules and buffer pH on the bioconjugation of QDs, and found that the pIs of bio-macromolecules played an important role in the conjugation reaction. By the optimization of the buffer pH some proteins with different pIs were efficiently conjugated with QDs using EDC and Sulfo-NHS as linking agents. Furthermore, we on-line investigated the kinetic process of QDs-bioconjugation by FCS and found that the conjugation reaction of QDs with protein was rapid and the reaction process almost completed within 10 min. We also observed that QDs conjugated with proteins were stable for at least 5 days in phosphate buffer. Our work described here will be very helpful for the improvement of the QDs conjugation efficiency in bioapplications.     

量子点CdS修饰纳米结构TiO2复合膜的光电化学研究

半导体量子点作为宽禁带半导体材料的敏化剂有着重要的意义[1-5],利用量子点作为光敏剂有许多优点:第一,通过控制量子点的尺寸可以调节它们的能带以至于他们的吸收光谱能够被调节去匹配日光的光谱分布;第二,半导体量子点由于量子局限效应而有大的消光系数,并且有可以导致电荷快     

Determination of silver ion based on the redshift of emission wavelength of quantum dots functionalized with rhodanine

A simple and selective method for the determination of silver ions was developed by utilizing the red- shift in emission wavelength of the core-shell CdSe/Cd5 quantum dots （QDs） functionalized with rhodanine upon the addition of Ag＋. A linear relationship was observed between the shift and the increase in concentration of Ag＋ in the range of 0.0125-12.5 μmol/L. The mechanism of the red-shift was investigated and suggested that the coordination between Ag＋ and rhodanine on the QDs surface caused an increase of particle size, which resulted in the red-shift of the QDs＇ emission wavelength. A detection limit of 2 nmol/L was achieved. The developed method showed superior selectivity and was successfully applied to the determination of silver in environmental samples.     

Microfluidic bead-based multienzyme-nanoparticle amplification for detection of circulating tumor cells in the blood using quantum dots labels

This study reports the development of a microfluidic bead-based nucleic acid sensor for sensitive detection of circulating tumor cells in blood samples using multienzyme-nanoparticle amplification and quantum dot labels. In this method, the microbeads functionalized with the capture probes and modified electron rich proteins were arrayed within a microfluidic channel as sensing elements, and the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with the horseradish peroxidases (HRP) and DNA probes were used as labels. Hence, two signal amplification approaches are integrated for enhancing the detection sensitivity of circulating tumor cells. First, the large surface area of Au nanoparticle carrier allows several binding events of HRP on each nanosphere. Second, enhanced mass transport capability inherent from microfluidics leads to higher capture efficiency of targets because continuous flow within micro-channel delivers fresh analyte solution to the reaction site which maintains a high concentration gradient differential to enhance mass transport. Based on the dual signal amplification strategy, the developed microfluidic bead-based nucleic acid sensor could discriminate as low as 5 fM (signal-to-noise (S/N) 3) of synthesized carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene fragments and showed a 1000-fold increase in detection limit compared to the off-chip test. In addition, using spiked colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29) in the blood as a model system, the detection limit of this chip-based approach was found to be as low as 1 HT29 in 1 mL blood sample. This microfluidic bead-based nucleic acid sensor is a promising platform for disease-related nucleic acid molecules at the lowest level at their earliest incidence.     

Simultaneous extraction of level 2 and level 3 characteristics from latent fingerprints imaged with quantum dots for improved fingerprint analysisc

The numbers of level 2 and level 3 features that can be mapped by CdTe QDs are signifi cantly larger than those obtained by cyanoacrylate fuming (a standard technique being adopted at the forensic crime scene for examination of invisible fi ngerprints) and inkpad imaging.