title: Aqueous synthesis and fluorescence-imaging application of CdTe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots with high stability and low cytotoxicity.
abstract: CdTe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots were directly synthesized in an aqueous condition by heating a mixed solution of ZnCI2, NaHSe and CdTe QDs in the presence of mercaptosuccinic acid as a stabilizer. By controlling the size and composition, the CdTe/ZnSe QDs with emission wavelength ranging from 540 to 630 nm, high quantum yield (44%) and narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) could be obtained. Characterization results with HRTEM, XRD and EDX have shown that the synthesized CdTe/ZnSe QDs have good monodispersity and a nice crystal structure, and exhibited better stability and less cytotoxicity as compared with CdTe QDs. Furthermore, luminescent QD-IgG bioprobes were produced to detect the breast cancer marker Her2 on the surface of fixed MCF-7 cancer cells for their optical imaging.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Hua-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Sailing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D014867:Water; D013691:Tellurium; C044696:zinc selenide; C028337:cadmium telluride