Aqueous synthesis of highly luminescent AgInS2–ZnS quantum dots and their biological applications

Michelle D. Regulacio; Khin Yin Win; Seong Loong Lo; Shuang-Yuan Zhang; Xinhai Zhang; Shu Wang; Ming-Yong Han; Yuangang Zheng

doi:10.1039/C3NR34159C

Aqueous synthesis of highly luminescent AgInS₂–ZnS quantum dots and their biological applications†

Michelle D. Regulacio,^a Khin Yin Win,^a Seong Loong Lo,^b Shuang-Yuan Zhang,^a Xinhai Zhang,^a Shu Wang,^bc Ming-Yong Han*^ad and Yuangang Zheng*^a

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 117602
E-mail: zhengy@imre.a-star.edu.sg, my-han@imre.a-star.edu.sg
Fax: +65-68720785
Tel: +65-68748111

^b Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138669

^c Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543

^d Department of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576

Abstract

Highly emissive and air-stable AgInS₂–ZnS quantum dots (ZAIS QDs) with quantum yields of up to 20% have been successfully synthesized directly in aqueous media in the presence of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) as stabilizing and reactivity-controlling agents. The as-prepared water-dispersible ZAIS QDs are around 3 nm in size, possess the tetragonal chalcopyrite crystal structure, and exhibit long fluorescence lifetimes (>100 ns). In addition, these ZAIS QDs are found to exhibit excellent optical and colloidal stability in physiologically relevant pH values as well as very low cytotoxicity, which render them particularly suitable for biological applications. Their potential use in biological labelling of baculoviral vectors is demonstrated.

This article is part of the themed collection: Quantum Dots: A Nanoscience Nobel Prize

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C3NR34159C
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 18 Dec 2012
Accepted: 18 Jan 2013
First published: 22 Jan 2013

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Nanoscale, 2013,5, 2322-2327

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Aqueous synthesis of highly luminescent AgInS₂–ZnS quantum dots and their biological applications

M. D. Regulacio, K. Y. Win, S. L. Lo, S. Zhang, X. Zhang, S. Wang, M. Han and Y. Zheng, Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 2322 DOI: 10.1039/C3NR34159C

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