title: New generation of chitosan-encapsulated ZnO quantum dots loaded with drug: synthesis, characterization and in vitro drug delivery response.
abstract: The objective of the study is to describe a new approach of combining quantum dots technology with anti-cancer drug therapy. In this regard, we communicate the preliminary research on the synthesis of blue-light emitting ZnO quantum dots (QDs) combined with biodegradable chitosan (N-acetylglucosamine) for tumor-targeted drug delivery. The results presented here indicate that the proposed new generation of QDs loaded with anti-cancer agents and encapsulated with biocompatible polymer represent a potential platform to deliver tumor-targeted drugs and document the delivery process, if desired. Non-toxic water-dispersed ZnO QDs with long-term fluorescence stability were synthesized by a chemical hydrolysis method, encapsulated with chitosan and loaded with anti-cancer drug. Chitosan enhanced the stability of the QDs because of the hydrophilicity and cationic charge of chitosan. The study points toward the application of water-dispersed ZnO QDs with long-term fluorescence stability for design of new drug release carrier.
authors.affiliation: Center for Structural and Functional Materials, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504-4130, USA.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: R D K
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Misra
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D045663:Quantum Dots; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D048271:Chitosan; D015034:Zinc Oxide