title: Preparation of pH-stimuli-responsive PEG-TGA/TGH-capped CdTe QDs and their application in cell labeling.
abstract: A pH-sensitive and double functional nanoprobe was designed and synthesized in a water-soluble system using thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercapto-acetohydrazide (TGH) as the stabilizers. TGA is biocompatible because the carboxyl group is easily linked to biological macromolecules. At the same time, the hydrazide on TGH reacts with the aldehyde on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and forms a hydrazone bond. The hydrazone bond ruptured at specific pH values and exhibited pH-stimuli-responsive characteristics. As an optical imaging probe, the PEG-TGA/TGH-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) had high quality, with a fluorescence efficiency of 25-30%, and remained stable for at least five months. This pH-responsive factor can be used for the effective release of CdTe QDs under the acidic interstitial extracellular environment of tumor cells. This allows the prepared pH-stimuli-responsive nanoprobes to show fluorescence signals for use in cancer cell imaging.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.|Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
authors.forename: Dongzhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Xuzhou Air Force College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221000, China.
authors.forename: Shian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.|Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
authors.forename: Daoquan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013691:Tellurium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013864:Thioglycolates / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006835:Hydrazones; D015335:Molecular Probes; D013864:Thioglycolates; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C017487:2-mercaptoacetate; D013691:Tellurium; C028337:cadmium telluride
keywords: PEG-TGA/TGH-capped CdTe QDs; cell labeling; pH-stimuli-responsive