Multiple homogeneous immunoassays based on a quantum dots-gold nanorods FRET nanoplatform

Multi-sized quantum dots (QDs) donors and tailor-made gold nanorods (GNRs) are employed to form a FRET nanoplatform for homogeneous immunoassays developed for analysis of multiple virus antigens. The single GNRs/multiple QDs nanocomposite based nanosensor offers a simple and sensitive approach for multiple analytes detection in a homogeneous format.     

Role of Edge Geometry and Magnetic Interaction in Opening Bandgap of Low‐Dimensional Graphene

By using a size‐dependent cohesive energy formula for two‐dimensional coordination materials, the bandgap openings of ideal graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and nanoribbons (GNRs) have been investigated systematically regarding dimension, edge geometry, and magnetic interaction. Results demonstrate that the bandgap openings in GQDs can be dominated by the change of atomic cohesive energy. Relative to zigzag GQDs, the openings in the armchair ones are more substantial, attributed to its edge instability. The change of cohesive energy can also lead to bandgap openings in zigzag and armchair GNRs. The contribution from the interedge magnetic interaction in zigzag GNRs is negligible, while the cohesive‐energy induced openings in armchair GNRs can oscillate according to the so‐called full‐wavelength effect, depending on the width. The model prediction provides physicochemical insight into the bandgap openings in graphene.     

Photoluminescence of nanocomposites of liquid-crystalline polymers and cadmium selenide quantum dots

The role of specific interactions between a polymer matrix and incorporated quantum dots is one of the critical problems for understanding the effect of the polymer matrix on the optical properties of quantum dots in a nanocomposite material and for creating new photonic materials and related instruments. In this study, cadmium selenide quantum dots have been incorporated into a liquid-crystalline polymer via the interaction of carboxyl groups of the polymer with the quantum-dot surfaces through ionic bonds. From the data of transmission electron microscopy, it has been shown that this interaction provides the localization of quantum dots in the environment of the liquid-crystalline phase of the polymer. Various features of photoluminescent properties have been observed and interpreted in terms of the emission recombination of excitons in CdSe quantum dots, light reabsorption by quantum dots, the effect of the electronic states on the surface CdSe-liquid crystal, and the energy transfer from quantum dots to the polymer liquid-crystalline matrix.     

Luminescence of Hybrid Nanostructures of InP@ZnS Colloidal Quantum Dots and <Emphasis Type="Italic">meso</Emphasis>-Tetra(3-pyridyl)porphyrin Molecules

The formation of hybrid nanostructures consisting of InP@ZnS colloidal quantum dots and mesotetra(3-pyridyl)porphyrin molecules adsorbed on the quantum dots has been studied. In such nanostructures, strong quenching of quantum dot luminescence and an increase in the emission intensity of porphyrin are observed due to nonradiative resonance energy transfer from colloidal quantum dots to porphyrin.     

The in vivo biodistribution and fate of CdSe quantum dots in the murine model: a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry study

Understanding the cytotoxicity of quantum dots strongly relies upon the development of new analytical techniques to gather information about various aspects of the system. In this study, we demonstrate the in vivo biodistribution and fate of CdSe quantum dots in the murine model by means of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). By comparing the hot zones of each element acquired from LA-ICP-MS with those in fluorescence images, together with hematoxylin and eosin-stained images, we are able to perceive the fate and in vivo interactions between quantum dots and rat tissues. One hour after intravenous injection, we found that all of the quantum dots had been concentrated inside the spleen, liver and kidneys, while no quantum dots were found in other tissues (i.e., muscle, brain, lung, etc.). In the spleen, cadmium-114 signals always appeared in conjunction with iron signals, indicating that the quantum dots had been filtered from main vessels and then accumulated inside splenic red pulp. In the liver, the overlapped hot zones of quantum dots and those of phosphorus, copper, and zinc showed that these quantum dots have been retained inside hepatic cells. Importantly, it was noted that in the kidneys, quantum dots went into the cortical areas of adrenal glands. At the same time, hot zones of copper appeared in proximal tubules of the cortex. This could be a sign that the uptake of quantum dots initiates certain immune responses. Interestingly, the intensity of the selenium signals was not proportional to that of cadmium in all tissues. This could be the result of the decomposition of the quantum dots or matrix interference. In conclusion, the advantage in spatial resolution of LA-ICP-MS is one of the most powerful tools to probe the fate, interactions and biodistribution of quantum dots in vivo.     

Localization imaging using blinking quantum dots

The blinking phenomena of the quantum dots have been utilized in the super-resolution localization microscopy to map out the locations of individual quantum dots on a total internal reflection microscope. Our result indicated that the reconstructed image of quantum dots agreed with the topographic image measured by atomic force microscopy. Because of the superior optical properties of the quantum dots, the high localization resolution can be achieved in the shorter acquisition time with larger detected photon numbers. When the cells were labeled with quantum dots, the sub-cellular structures could be clearly seen in the reconstructed images taken by a commercial microscope without using complicated optical systems, special photo-switchable dye pairs or photo-activated fluorescence proteins.     

Encapsulation of Quantum Dots Inside Liposomal Hybrid Cerasome Using a One-Pot Procedure

A one-pot strategy for the fabrication of the quantum dots loaded cerasome has been successfully developed based on the condensation of dihexadecylamine and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane, followed by spontaneous encapsulation and solubilization of hydrophobic quantum dots into the hybrid liposomal cerasomes in combination of self-assembly and sol-gel process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectra prove the formation of the intermediate organoalkoxysilane with a lipid-like structure, which forms cerasome vesicles. After encapsulation into cerasome, quantum dots become well dispersed in aqueous solution. Such water-soluble QD cerasomes exhibit a better photostability and retain the luminescence property of the original hydrophobic quantum dots.     

CdTe量子点荧光法测定阳离子表面活性剂

合成了巯基乙酸(TGA)保护的水溶性发光CdTe量子点,并考察了此探针在阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTMAB)中的发光行为。根据观察到的发光猝灭效应,建立了一种简单的测定阳离子表面活性剂的方法。考察了CdTe量子点的浓度、体系酸度、反应时间及共存物质等对测定的影响。在最佳条件下,CdTe量子点发光强度与CTMAB的浓度分别在6×10-7~9.0×10-6mol/L和1.2×10-5~3.8×10-5mol/L范围内分段成线性关系。该方法用于水样的阳离子表面活性剂的测定,回收率为97%~102%。     

Influence of gold nanoparticles on nonradiative energy transfer in nanoclusters of colloidal quantum dots InP@ZnS

The influence of gold nanoparticles on the efficiency of nonradiative resonance energy transfer between InP@ZnS quantum dots composed of nanoclusters, a new type of organized structures consisting of hydrophobic quantum dots and gold nanoparticles, has been experimentally studied.     

The Effect of CdSe and InP Quantum Dots on the Interaction of ZnO with NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> under Visible Light Irradiation

Nanocomposites based on nanocrystalline ZnO and CdSe and InP nanocrystals (quantum dots) have been synthesized by chemical precipitation and high-temperature colloidal synthesis. The microstructure parameters of the oxide matrix and the size of the CdSe and InP nanocrystals have been determined. A correlation was established between the spectral dependence of the photoconductivity of nanocomposites and the optical absorption spectra of quantum dots. The influence of CdSe and InP quantum dots on the interaction of ZnO with NO₂ under visible light irradiation has been studied. It has been shown that the synthesized nanocomposites can be used to detect NO₂ under illumination with green light without additional thermal heating.     

Organometal halide perovskite quantum dots: synthesis,optical properties,and display applications

In recent two years, organometal halide perovskites quantum dots are emerging as a new member of the nanocrystals family. From the chemical point of view, these perovskites quantum dots can be synthesized either by classical hot-injection technique for inorganic semiconductor quantum dots or the reprecipitation synthesis at room temperature for organic nanocrystals. From a physical point of view, the observed large exciton binding energy, well self-passivated surface, as well as the enhanced nonlinear properties have been of great interest for fundamental study. From the application point of view, these perovskites quantum dots exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields, wide wavelength tunability and ultra-narrow band emissions, the combination of these superior optical properties and low cost fabrication makes them to be suitable candidates for display technology. In this short review, we introduce the synthesis, optical properties, the prototype light-emitting devices, and the current important research tasks of halide perovsktie quantum dots, with an emphasis on CH₃NH₃PbX₃ (X=Cl, Br, I) quantum dots that developed in our group.     

Hydrophilic semiconductor quantum dots

Comparative analysis of recent literature data on hydrophilization of semiconductor quantum dots, which are actively used at present in various fields, has been performed. The main methods of preparation of hydrophilic quantum dots are considered: synthesis of the particles in aqueous solutions; replacement of hydrophobic ligands with hydrophilic ligands in the shells stabilizing the particles; creation of a second, water-soluble shell around the hydrophobic particles; and various methods of post-preparative treatment to improve photoluminescent properties of quantum dots.     

Microstructure of multilayer heterosystems containing molecules of Ge quantum dots in Si on the stages of nucleation and growth as revealed by EXAFS spectroscopy

GeK edge EXAFS (Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure) spectra have been measured for multilayer semiconducting heterosystems containing interacted groups of quantum dots (“molecules from quantum dots”) ordered in rings on different stages of their growth depending on topologic parameters and growth conditions. In accordance with our results obtained previously for the quantum dots of SiGe, for the molecules of quantum dots it was found that deformation at the interface leads to decrease in the interatomic distance of Ge–Ge by ~0.03 Å. Effect of heterosystem topology and temperature at different stages of their growth on interlayer diffusion was investigated. It was found that at the first growth stage (growth of “seeded islands” serving as a basis for obtaining the molecules) at 700°C a concentration of Ge atoms in the system is ~38%. With further growth of the vertically-matched quantum dots groups the concentration of Ge increases up to ~43-47% depending on the growth conditions. Comparable analysis of different modes of EXAFS measurements was performed to determine precisely structural parameters of heterosystem SiGe with different thickness grown on Si(100) surface.     

Features of the influence of stabilizing ligands on luminescence properties of cadmium selenide colloidal quantum dots

It has been shown that immediately after the synthesis, the luminescence efficiency of CdSe quantum dots stabilized by n-octadecylphosphonic acid together with one of the auxiliary ligands decreases in the order: oleylamine, hexadecylamine, trioctylphosphine oxide, 1-octadecene, and stearic acid, which is due to combination of the energy of their binding with surface atoms of the nanoparticles and the packing density of the ligands in the shell. In the course of post-synthetic ripening of the quantum dots in a solution, changes in their luminescence quantum yield occur, depending on the solvent polarity and due to rearrangement of the ligands in the shells. The effect of dark recovery of trap luminescence from UV-irradiated quantum dots stabilized by octadecylphosphonic acid and a long-chain amine has been found.     

Influence of amines and alkanethiols on the spectral and luminescent properties of InP@ZnS colloidal quantum dots

It has been shown that the precursors (long-chain amines and alkanethiols) used in liquid-phase colloidal synthesis of InP@ZnS quantum dots exert a significant influence on their spectral and luminescent properties. It has been found that dodecylamine and 1-dodecanethiol facilitate obtaining the particles with a narrow luminescence band and a low quantum yield, whereas oleylamine, 1-octanethiol, and 1,6-hexanedithiol stimulate the formation of the quantum dots with broad and intense luminescence. Conditions have been found under which the narrowing of the emission band to 46.3 nm becomes possible.     

Changes in luminescence of semiconductor colloidal quantum dots CdSe@CdS by replacement of hydrophobic ligands with 1-thioglycerol

Luminescent properties of CdSe@CdS colloidal quantum dots upon replacement of hydrophobic stabilizing ligands with water-soluble 1-thioglycerol have been studied. The data obtained have made it possible to optimize the ligand replacement procedure and significantly decrease the loss of the fluorescence quantum yield of the resulting hydrophilic quantum dots.     

Recent Progress and Challenges in Graphene Nanoribbon Synthesis

Graphene, the thinnest two‐dimensional material in nature, has abundant distinctive properties, such as ultrahigh carrier mobility, superior thermal conductivity, very high surface‐to‐volume ratio, anomalous quantum Hall effect, and so on. Laterally confined, thin, and long strips of graphene, namely, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), can open the bandgap in the semimetal and give it the potential to replace silicon in future electronics. Great efforts are devoted to achieving high‐quality GNRs with narrow widths and smooth edges. This minireview reports the latest progress in experimental and theoretical studies on GNR synthesis. Different methods of GNR synthesis—unzipping of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), cutting of graphene, and the direct synthesis of GNRs—are discussed, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared in detail. Current challenges and the prospects in this rapidly developing field are also addressed.     

Exciton multiplication and relaxation dynamics in quantum dots: applications to ultrahigh-efficiency solar photon conversion

Huge amounts of carbon-free energy will be required during the coming decades in order to stabilize atmospheric CO2 to acceptable levels. Solar energy is the largest source of non-carbonaceous energy and can be used to produce both electricity and fuel. However, the ratio of the areal cost to the conversion efficiency for devices converting solar photons to electricity or fuel must be reduced by at least 1 order of magnitude from the present values; this requires large increases in the cell efficiency and large reductions in the cost per unit area. We have shown how semiconductor quantum dots may greatly increase photon conversion efficiencies by producing multiple excitons from a single photon. This is possible because quantization of energy levels in quantum dots slows the cooling of hot excitons, promotes multiple exciton generation, and lowers the photon energy threshold for this process. Quantum yields of 300% for exciton formation in PbSe quantum dots have been reported at photon energies 3.8 times the HOMO-LUMO transition energy, indicating the formation of three excitons/photon for all photoexcited quantum dots. Similar high quantum yields have also been reported for PbS quantum dots. A new model for this effect that is based on a coherent superposition of multiple excitonic states has been proposed.     

Modulatory Functionalization of Gold Nanorods Using Supramolecular Assemblies

Supramolecular‐assembly‐mediated functionalization of gold nanorods (GNRs) has been developed by reversible phase transfer between water and oils, which offers a facile method for fabricating robust GNRs with surface‐charge tunability. In this regard, trimethylammonium (TMA) GNRs were initially prepared from conventional cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) GNRs by means of a ligand‐exchange reaction in the presence of an excess amount of TMA ligands. To further expand their functionality and potential applications, electrostatic assemblies of positively charged TMA‐GNRs with negatively charged oleate ions were prepared. These assemblies (OA‐GNRs) can undergo facile phase transfer from water to hexane. Interestingly, the reversible electrostatic assembly between the TMA and OA ions fabricated onto GNRs can be easily disrupted by treatment with HCl, which removes the OA ions from the GNRs to re‐form the TMA‐GNRs, which can be made soluble in aqueous media again. In addition, OA‐GNRs can be further used for the synthesis of negatively charged GNRs such as 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) GNRs, which are hard to prepare directly from CTAB‐GNRs. This versatile method for phase transfer and functionalization on GNRs is expected to broaden the scope of their applications in sensing, biomedical imaging, photothermal therapies, and drug delivery systems.     

Synthesis and application of quantum dots FRET-based protease sensors

Preparation of FRET-based quantum dots as protease sensors-RGDC peptide molecules are bound to the surface of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. The peptide molecules are then labeled with rhodamine dye molecules. The emission color of the quantum dots change from green to orange due to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the quantum dots and the bound rhodamine molecules. Cleavage of the peptide by selective proteases releases the rhodamine molecules from the quantum dots surface, which results in decreasing FRET efficiency between the quantum dots and the rhodamine molecules. The emission color of the quantum dots changes back to green.