title: Crystal phase-controlled synthesis of rod-shaped AgInTe2 nanocrystals for in vivo imaging in the near-infrared wavelength region.
abstract: Rod-shaped AgInTe2 nanocrystals (NCs) exhibiting intense near-band edge photoluminescence in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region, were successfully prepared by the thermal reaction of metal acetates and Te precursors in 1-dodecanethiol. Increasing the reaction temperature resulted in the formation of larger AgInTe2 NCs with crystal structures varying from hexagonal to tetragonal at reaction temperatures of 280 °C or higher. The energy gap was increased from 1.13 to 1.20 eV with a decrease in rod width from 8.3 to 5.6 nm, accompanied by a blue shift in the photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength from 1097 to 1033 nm. The optimal PL quantum yield was approximately 18% for AgInTe2 NCs with rod widths of 5.6 nm. The applicability of AgInTe2 NCs as a NIR-emitting material for in vivo biological imaging was examined by injecting AgInTe2 NC-incorporated liposomes into the back of a C57BL/6 mouse, followed by in vivo photoluminescence imaging in the NIR region.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kameyama
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yujiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp and ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp and ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan and Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Daikominami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya 461-8673, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwabata
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. torimoto@apchem.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torimoto