Continuous injection synthesis of indium arsenide quantum dots emissive in the short-wavelength infrared.
With the emergence of applications based on short-wavelength infrared light, indium arsenide quantum dots are promising candidates to address existing shortcomings of other infrared-emissive nanomaterials. However, III-V quantum dots have historically struggled to match the high-quality optical properties of II-VI quantum dots. Here we present an extensive investigation of the kinetics that govern indium arsenide nanocrystal growth. Based on these insights, we design a synthesis of large indium arsenide quantum dots with narrow emission linewidths. We further synthesize indium arsenide-based core-shell-shell nanocrystals with quantum yields up to 82% and improved photo- and long-term storage stability. We then demonstrate non-invasive through-skull fluorescence imaging of the brain vasculature of murine models, and show that our probes exhibit 2-3 orders of magnitude higher quantum yields than commonly employed infrared emitters across the entire infrared camera sensitivity range. We anticipate that these probes will not only enable new biomedical imaging applications, but also improved infrared nanocrystal-LEDs and photon-upconversion technology.
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Daniel
D
Franke
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Daniel K
DK
Harris
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Ou
O
Chen
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Oliver T
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5738-0126
OT
Bruns
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Jessica A
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8637-8108
JA
Carr
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Mark W B
MWB
Wilson
Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Moungi G
MG
Bawendi
D000818:Animals; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007204:Indium; D007259:Infrared Rays; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D061848:Optical Imaging; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*
D001152:Arsenicals; D007204:Indium; C076773:indium arsenide