One-pot preparation of highly fluorescent cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide quantum dots under neutral-pH condition for biological applications

Authors

Yian Zhu, University of Queensland
Zhen Li, University of WollongongFollow
Min Chen, University of Queensland
Helen M. Cooper, University of Queensland
Gao Qing (Max) Lu, University of QueenslandFollow
Zhi Ping Xu, University of Queensland

RIS ID

72003

Publication Details

Zhu, Y, Li, Z, Chen, M, Cooper, HM, Lu, G & Xu, Z, (2013), One-pot preparation of highly fluorescent cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide quantum dots under neutral-pH condition for biological applications, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 390(1), pp. 3-10.

Abstract

Water-soluble CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) with tuneable emissions were prepared in aqueous solution at pH = 6-7 via refluxing and hydrothermal treatment. The resultant CdTe/CdS QDs are stabilized with mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) and show high fluorescence quantum yields (maximum QY is 84%). Characterization with UV-Vis, PL, XPS, XRD and TEM demonstrates a core (CdTe)-shell (CdS) structure, which leads to high fluorescence quantum yields. The effective protection from CdS shell and MSA enables CdTe QDs to be chemically stable in a pH range of 6-9 and less toxic. These merits make our CdTe/CdS QDs very promising for bio-imaging applications, as exemplified by labelling HEK 293 cells.