Luminescent sensors based on quantum dot-molecule conjugates.
Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic nanoparticles that exhibit unique size-dependent optical and electronic properties; in particular, they are strongly luminescent. Their surface can be chemically modified, by either covalent or non-covalent approaches, in order to interface them with molecular units endowed with specific physical and chemical properties. Photoinduced electron- and energy-transfer processes between quantum dots and attached molecular species offer versatile strategies to modulate the photophysical properties of these nanoassemblies in response to a chemical stimulation. Hence, QD-molecule conjugates are appealing platforms for developing luminescent sensors according to a modular design. In this review we discuss the principles underlying the rational construction of this kind of multicomponent species, and we illustrate selected examples of luminescent QD-based sensors taken from the recent literature.
Photochemical Nanosciences Laboratory and Center for the Chemical Conversion of Solar Energy (SolarChem), Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician", via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. alberto.credi@unibo.it.
Serena
S
Silvi
Alberto
A
Credi