Synthesis of aqueous CdTe quantum dots embedded silica nanoparticles and their applications as fluorescence probes

This paper presents the synthesis of aqueous CdTe QDs embedded silica nanoparticles by reverse microemulsion method and their applications as fluorescence probes in bioassay and cell imaging. With the aim of embedding more CdTe QDs in silica spheres, we use poly(dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) to balance the electrostatic repulsion between CdTe QDs and silica intermediates. By modifying the surface of CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles with amino and methylphosphonate groups, biologically functionalized and monodisperse CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles can be obtained. In this work, CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles are conjugated with biotin-labeled mouse IgG via covalent binding. The biotin-labeled mouse IgG on the CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles surface can recognize FITC-labeled avidin and avidin on the surface of polystyrene microspheres by protein-protein binding. Finally, the CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles with secondary antibody are used to label the MG63 osteosarcoma cell with primary antibody successfully, which demonstrates that the application of CdTe/SiO₂ composite nanoparticles as fluorescent probes in bioassay and fluorescence imaging is feasible.     

Encapsulation of emitting CdTe QDs within silica beads to retain initial photoluminescence efficiency

Highly luminescent silica beads (30 nm-2 mum slashed circle) incorporating CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared via a two-step preparation procedure, namely a modified St?ber synthesis and a subsequent reverse micelle route. In the modified St?ber synthesis, the silica molecules are deposited on the surface of the QDs. After this first step, these coated QDs were incorporated into silica beads via a reverse micelle route. Inductively coupled plasma analysis revealed a red-emitting silica bead of 30 nm in diameter thus prepared encapsulated roughly 14 CdTe QDs. These glass beads (30-40 nm slashed circle) retained the initial photoluminescence (PL) efficiencies of the colloidal QDs (27 and 65% for the green- and red-emitting beads, respectively). The protection of QDs by a silica layer at the first step, together with the short total reaction time, is the main reason for the retention of the PL efficiency. The size of the glass beads can be easily controlled over the wide range by adjusting the injection speed and the ratio of chemicals used for the reverse micelle preparation. Since the original efficiency was maintained in the beads and is the highest ever reported for QD-containing silica beads, the method presented here is of significant importance for applications of silica beads to biological probes.     

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.     

Facile synthesis of nanocrystal encoded fluorescent silica microspheres

Monodisperse CdTe composite microspheres with a spherical shape were prepared using organosilane chemicals in aqueous solution. CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) were loaded into the matrix of silica microspheres during the formation of composite microspheres. Detailed characterization of the CdTe composite microspheres by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and spectrofluorimeter was performed to elucidate the morphology and fluorescence of the composite microspheres. In contrast to CdTe NCs in aqueous solution, CdTe NCs in the composite microspheres revealed high stability and fluorescence due to the confined effects of silica matrix. In addition, multicolored CdTe QDs were encoded into the microspheres at precise ratios.     

Nanoparticles as scaffolds for FRET-based ratiometric detection of mercury ions in water with QDs as donors

The quenching of quantum dots' emission by some analytes (Hg(2+), Pb(2+), etc.) has long been hindering the fabrication of QD-based 'turn-on' or ratiometric fluorescent sensors for these analytes. In this study, we demonstrate a facile solution for constructing a robust FRET-based ratiometric sensor for Hg(2+) detection in water with CdTe QDs as the donor. By using the reverse microemulsion approach, CdTe QDs were first embedded into nanosized silica particles, forming the QDs/silica cores, a positively charged ultrathin spacer layer was then deposited on each QDs/silica core, followed by the coating of a mercury ion probe on the particle surfaces. The resultant multilayered QDs/silica composite nanoparticles are dispersible in HEPES buffered water; and in the presence of mercury ions, the QDs inside the nanoparticles will not be quenched by mercury ions due to the existence of the positively charged spacer layer, but can transfer their excited energy to the acceptors (probe/Hg(2+) complex), thus achieving the FRET-based ratiometric sensing for mercury ions in totally aqueous media. With its detection limit of 260 nM, this QD-based sensor exhibits high selectivity toward mercury ion and can be used in a wide pH range. This strategy may be used to construct QDs-based ratiometric assays for other ions which quench the emission of QDs.     

Ultrasensitive determination of 1,4-dihydroxybenzene based on fluorescence resonance energy quenching of luminescent quantum dots modified on surface of silica nanoparticles

An ultrasensitive solid-phase fluorescence resonance energy quenching (FREQ) method for determination of 1,4-dihydroxybenzene (DHB) using mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) immobilized on silica nanoparticles (NPs) as donors was developed. In the method, silica NPs were first modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS). Then, MSA-capped CdTe QDs were immobilized on the surface of the APTS-modified silica NPs. Finally, DHB in the solution was attached to the empty sites on the surface of silica NPs with QDs through electrostatic interaction. The fluorescence emission of the QDs was quenched by the proximal DHB molecules on the silica NPs. The quenching efficiency of the solid-phase FREQ method was 200-times higher than that of the solution-phase FREQ method. Using the ultrasensitive solid-phase FREQ method, DHB as low as 2.4 × 10⁻¹² mol/L could be detected. The method was applied to quantify trace DHB in water samples.     

One-bath synthesis of hydrophilic molecularly imprinted quantum dots for selective recognition of chlorophenol

A simple one-bath strategy has been developed to synthesize a novel CdTe@SiO₂@MIP（molecularly imprinted and silica-functionalized CdTe quantum dots,MISFQDs）,in which a silica shell was coated on the surface of CdTe quantum dots （CdTe@SiO₂ QDs） and then a polymer for selective recognition of 4-chlorophenol（4-CP） was constructed on the surface of CdTe@SiO₂ QDs using mercaptoacetic acid as stabilizer,3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane（APTES） as functional monomers and tetraethoxysilane（TEOS） as crosslink agent.The structures of CdTe@SiO₂@MIP were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible absorption. Fluorescence,FT-IR spectrum and powder X-ray diffraction.The application and characterization of the CdTe@SiO₂@MIP were investigated by experiments.All results indicated that the CdTe@SiO₂@MIP can selectively recognize 4-chlorophenol.     

Silica-coated CdTe quantum dots functionalized with thiols for bioconjugation to IgG proteins

Quantum dots (QDs) have been increasingly used in biolabeling recently as their advantages over molecular fluorophores have become clear. For bioapplications QDs must be water-soluble and buffer stable, making their synthesis challenging and time-consuming. A simple aqueous synthesis of silica-capped, highly fluorescent CdTe quantum dots has been developed. CdTe QDs are advantageous as the emission can be tuned to the near-infrared where tissue absorption is at a minimum, while the silica shell can prevent the leakage of toxic Cd(2+) and provide a surface for easy conjugation to biomolecules such as proteins. The presence of a silica shell of 2-5 nm in thickness has been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements. Photoluminescence studies show that the silica shell results in greatly increased photostability in Tris-borate-ethylenediaminetetraacetate and phosphate-buffered saline buffers. To further improve their biocompatibility, the silica-capped QDs have been functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) and thiol-terminated biolinkers. Through the use of these linkers, antibody proteins were successfully conjugated as confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Streptavidin-maleimide and biotinylated polystyrene microbeads confirmed the bioactivity and conjugation specificity of the thiolated QDs. These functionalized, silica-capped QDs are ideal labels, easily synthesized, robust, safe, and readily conjugated to biomolecules while maintaining bioactivity. They are potentially useful for a number of applications in biolabeling and imaging.     

Aqueous synthesis of type-II core/shell CdTe/CdSe quantum dots for near-infrared fluorescent sensing of copper(II)

Type-II core/shell CdTe/CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in aqueous medium by employing thiol-capped CdTe QDs as core template and CdCl(2) and Na(2)SeSO(3) as shell precursors, respectively. Compared with the original CdTe cores, the core/shell CdTe/CdSe QDs showed an obvious red-shifted emission with the color-tune capability to the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength, because of the formation of an indirect excitation. The prepared QDs exhibited high stability and moderate fluorescence quantum yields (10-20%), and their core/shell heterostructure was characterized by UV-vis absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectra, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The fluorescence of the core/shell QDs could be markedly quenched by Cu(II), and approximate concentrations of other physiologically important cations, such as Zn(II), Ca(II), Na(I) and K(I) etc., had no effect on the fluorescence. Based on this, a simple and rapid method for Cu(II) determination was proposed using the NIR CdTe/CdSe QDs as fluorescent probes. Under optimal conditions, the response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Cu(II) between 0.05 to 50.0 x 10(-6) mol L(-1), the limit of detection was 2.0 x 10(-8) mol L(-1). The developed method was successfully applied to the detection of trace Cu(II) in real samples.     

CdTe量子点与蛋白质相互作用的荧光猝灭效应

本文在水热法合成水溶性CdTe及核壳结构CdTe/CdS量子点的基础上,分别研究了细胞色素c对CdTe量子点及CdTe/CdS核壳量子点荧光的猝灭效应和CdTe量子点对牛血清白蛋白荧光的猝灭效应,并阐述了猝灭机理。结果显示,细胞色素c对CdTe量子点的荧光猝灭效应具有一定的粒径依赖性,粒径越小,猝灭效应越强;细胞色素c对CdTe/CdS核壳量子点的猝灭效应比对CdTe量子点的更强,揭示了受激电子的表面传递机理。CdTe量子点通过松散牛血清白蛋白的螺旋结构而猝灭其荧光。     

Studying the interaction between CdTe quantum dots and Nile blue by absorption,fluorescence and resonance Rayleigh scattering spectra

Thioglycolic acid (TGA) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with the diameter of 2–3 nm were synthesized. The interaction between CdTe QDs and Nile blue (NB) was investigated by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption, resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) and fluorescence spectroscopy. UV–vis absorption spectrum of CdTe QDs and NB obviously changed, showing that CdTe QDs could associate with NB to form a new complex. At pH 6.8, NB effectively quenched the fluorescence of CdTe QDs. It was proved that the fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs by NB was mainly result of the formation of CdTe QDs–NB complex, electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic forces played a major role in stabilizing the complex. The binding molar ratio of CdTe QDs and NB was 5:1 by a mole-ratio method. The interaction between CdTe QDs and NB lead to the remarkable enhancement of RRS and the enchantments were in proportional to the concentration of NB in a certain range. The mechanism of the interaction between CdTe QDs and NB, reasons for the enhancement of RRS intensity were also discussed. The obtained results suggested the more satisfactory mechanism for the interaction between CdTe QDs and NB.     

配体对CdTe量子点与BSA的选择性相互作用的影响

以巯基乙酸(TGA)、巯基丙酸(MPA)、巯基甘油(TG)、L-半胱氨酸(L-cys)和谷胱甘肽(GSH)等5种巯基分子为稳定剂, 水相合成了5种CdTe量子点. 以牛血清白蛋白(BSA)作为靶分子, 通过吸收光谱、荧光光谱和时间分辨荧光动力学等手段研究了各种配体分子稳定的CdTe量子点与BSA的直接相互作用. 结果表明, 5种量子点均能有效猝灭BSA的荧光, 其猝灭程度按配体次序为GSH>L-cys>TGA>TG>MPA; 而BSA对不同配体稳定的CdTe量子点的荧光光谱的影响则具有明显的选择性. BSA对TGA-CdTe和MPA-CdTe量子点的荧光先敏化增强而后猝灭下降; L-cys分子由于同时具有氨基和羧基而与BSA的相互作用较强, 因此BSA能显著猝灭L-cys-CdTe量子点的荧光; 而BSA对TG-CdTe量子点的荧光猝灭程度较小; GSH分子的空间效应使GSH-CdTe量子点的荧光被BSA猝灭的程度最小. 吸收光谱和时间分辨荧光动力学研究表明, 5种量子点与BSA之间的相互作用均为静态过程. 探讨了量子点的配体分子结构与蛋白质的相互作用机理.     

CdSe包覆层数对水溶性CdTe/CdSe (II型)核壳量子点的光学特性和微观结构的影响

在水相合成的CdTe量子点的体系中通过分批次加入新鲜配制的NaHSe和CdCl2溶液,制备出了CdSe包覆层数不同的CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点,并着重考察了CdSe包覆层数对CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点的光学特性以及微观结构的影响.与CdTe量子点相比,CdSe单层包覆的CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点的吸收峰和荧光发射峰出现明显红移;随着CdSe包覆层数的增多,CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点吸收光谱的覆盖范围向长波方向扩展,荧光发射峰强度逐步下降,荧光寿命大幅延长,体现出Ⅱ型核壳量子点的特征.X射线衍射(XRD)分析表明,随着CdSe包覆层数的增多,CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点的粉末衍射峰由CdTe衍射峰位置逐步向CdSe衍射峰位置靠近.CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点因其延伸到近红外区域的宽吸收特性致使其在太阳电池领域具有重要的应用前景.     

Direct Synthesis of High-Quality Water-Soluble CdTe:Zn(2+) Quantum Dots

The synthesis of water-soluble and low-cytotoxicity quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution has received much attention recently. A one-step and convenient method has been developed for synthesis of water-soluble glutathione (GSH)-capped and Zn(2+)-doped CdTe QDs via a refluxing route. Because of the addition of Zn ions and the epitaxial growth of a CdS layer, the prepared QDs exhibit superior properties, including strong fluorescence, minimal cytotoxicity, and enhanced biocompatibility. The optical properties of QDs are characterized by UV-vis and fluorescence (FL) spectra. The structure of QDs was verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, the low cytotoxicity of the prepared QDs was proved by the microcalorimetric technique and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).     

Surface‐State‐Mediated Charge‐Transfer Dynamics in CdTe/CdSe Core–Shell Quantum Dots

Herein, we report the synthesis of aqueous CdTe/CdSe type‐II core–shell quantum dots (QDs) in which 3‐mercaptopropionic acid is used as the capping agent. The CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs are characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), steady‐state absorption, and emission spectroscopy. A red shift in the steady‐state absorption and emission bands is observed with increasing CdSe shell thickness over CdTe QDs. The XRD pattern indicates that the peaks are shifted to higher angles after growth of the CdSe shell on the CdTe QDs. HR‐TEM images of both CdTe and CdTe/CdSe QDs indicate that the particles are spherical, with a good shape homogeneity, and that the particle size increases by about 2 nm after shell formation. In the time‐resolved emission studies, we observe that the average emission lifetime (τ_av) increases to 23.5 ns for CdTe/CdSe (for the thickest shell) as compared to CdTe QDs (τ_av=12 ns). The twofold increment in the average emission lifetime indicates an efficient charge separation in type‐II CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Transient absorption studies suggest that both the carrier cooling and the charge‐transfer dynamics are affected by the presence of traps in the CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Carrier quenching experiments indicate that hole traps strongly affect the carrier cooling dynamics in CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs.     

CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点的合成及其在指纹显现中的应用

以CdCl2和Te粉为原料,在水相中合成了CdTe量子点核;通过外延生长在CdTe量子点核上包覆一层CdSe量子点,得到具有良好荧光性能的CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点;采用X射线衍射仪、透射电镜、高分辨透射电镜分析了不同反应条件下合成的CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点的晶体结构和微观结构,并对其进行了荧光光谱等测试和指纹显现分析.结果表明,合成的CdTe和CdTe/CdSe量子点粒径在3～5nm之间,粒径分布窄,水分散性良好;可以通过控制反应时间和Te/Se比等得到在500～700nm显示荧光发射峰的CdTe/CdSe核壳量子点.此外,核壳CdTe/CdSe量子点可以有效地和指纹物质结合,可应用于对铝合金油潜指纹的鉴别.     

不同环境因素对水热法合成碲化镉量子点的影响

对比了不同巯基稳定剂和前体浓度对水热环境CdTe量子点的生长过程和光物理性质的影响。结果表明,巯基丙酸与镉前体的结合能力较强,一定程度上减小了前体溶液中镉的浓度,故CdTe量子点生长速率较慢;空间位阻较大的硫普罗宁与镉前体的结合相对较弱,因此导致CdTe量子点生长较快。巯基丙酸有利于制备发光波长较短的高荧光强度CdTe 量子点,而硫普罗宁有利于制备发光波长较长的高荧光强度CdTe量子点。前体浓度对CdTe量子点的生长速率和光物理性质的影响不明显。在上述实验结果基础上,考察了水溶性乙酸钠和聚丙烯酸钠电解质对水热环境中CdTe量子点的生长过程和光物理性质的影响。结果表明,添加乙酸钠后可提高CdTe量子点的生长速率,进而导致CdTe量子点的表面重构和钝化能力下降,使荧光强度降低;聚丙烯酸钠对镉单体独特的固定作用导致CdTe量子点生长缓慢,尺寸集中化受限,钝化能力降低,使荧光强度下降更加明显。     

Development of a novel deltamethrin sensor based on molecularly imprinted silica nanospheres embedded CdTe quantum dots

A novel procedure for the determination of deltmethrin (DM) is reported. The water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and highly fluorescent silica molecularly imprinted nanospheres embedded CdTe QDs (CdTe-SiO2-MIPs) were prepared and characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM and IR. The fluorescence nanosensor based CdTe-SiO2-MIPs is developed. The possible quenching mechanism is discussed by DM. Under optimal conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity of CdTe-SiO2-MIPs decreased with increasing DM by a Stern-Volmer type equation in the concentration range of 0.5-35.0 μg mL(-1), the corresponding detection limit is 0.16 μg mL(-1). The developed sensor based on CdTe-SiO2-MIPs was applied to determine DM in fruit and vegetable samples.     

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.     

Highly efficient size separation of CdTe quantum dots by capillary gel electrophoresis using polymer solution as sieving medium

In this paper, we present a new method for highly efficient size separation of water-soluble CdTe quantum dots (QDs) based on CGE using polymer solution as sieving medium. CdTe QDs were synthesized in aqueous phase by a chemical route with mercaptopropionic acid as a ligand. In the alkaline solution, CdTe QDs possess negative charges and migrate to the anode in the electric field. In linear polyacrylamide sieving medium, the migration time of CdTe QDs was increased with the size of CdTe QDs. The effects of some factors, such as types, concentrations, and pH of sieving media, on the separation of CdTe QDs were investigated systematically. Highly efficient separation of CdTe QDs was obtained in linear polyacrylamide sieving medium, and collection of fractions was automatically accomplished by CGE technique. Our preliminary results show that CGE technique is an efficient tool for characterization and size-dependent separation of water-soluble nanoparticles. In addition, the fraction collection in CGE may be useful in certain special applications such as fabrication of nanodevices in the future.