Laser-synthesized oxide-passivated bright Si quantum dots for bioimaging.
Crystalline silicon (Si) nanoparticles present an extremely promising object for bioimaging based on photoluminescence (PL) in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions, but their efficient PL emission in aqueous suspension is typically observed after wet chemistry procedures leading to residual toxicity issues. Here, we introduce ultrapure laser-synthesized Si-based quantum dots (QDs), which are water-dispersible and exhibit bright exciton PL in the window of relative tissue transparency near 800 nm. Based on the laser ablation of crystalline Si targets in gaseous helium, followed by ultrasound-assisted dispersion of the deposited films in physiological saline, the proposed method avoids any toxic by-products during the synthesis. We demonstrate efficient contrast of the Si QDs in living cells by following the exciton PL. We also show that the prepared QDs do not provoke any cytoxicity effects while penetrating into the cells and efficiently accumulating near the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. Combined with the possibility of enabling parallel therapeutic channels, ultrapure laser-synthesized Si nanostructures present unique object for cancer theranostic applications.
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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Gongalsky
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.|Bio-nanophotonics Laboratory, National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 31 Kashirskoe sh., 115409 Moscow, Russia.
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Osminkina
Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France.
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Pereira
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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Manankov
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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Fedorenko
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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Vasiliev
Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, 142292, Moscow Region, Russia.
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Solovyev
Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, 142292, Moscow Region, Russia.
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Kudryavtsev
Bio-nanophotonics Laboratory, National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 31 Kashirskoe sh., 115409 Moscow, Russia.|Aix Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7341 CNRS, LP3, Campus de Luminy - case 917, 13288, Marseille Cedex 9, France.
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Sentis
Aix Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7341 CNRS, LP3, Campus de Luminy - case 917, 13288, Marseille Cedex 9, France.
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Kabashin
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Physics, 119991 Moscow, Russia.|Bio-nanophotonics Laboratory, National Research Nuclear University "MEPhI" (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 31 Kashirskoe sh., 115409 Moscow, Russia.
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Timoshenko
D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon
D003287:Contrast Media; D012825:Silicon