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Abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) are one of the first nanotechnologies to be integrated with the biological sciences that used for imaging or tracking macromolecules/cells in cell/tissue. Because of QDs are important in biomedical and biological applications, identify a variety of synthesis methods to produce QDs with different characteristics also is particularly important. Hence, in this review the authors discussed three methods for synthesis of heavy metal chalcogenide-based QDs for use in biomedical field: (i) Organometallic method for synthesis of QDs consists of three components: precursors, organic surfactants and solvents. The authors also discussed water-solubilisation strategies of synthesised QDs including encapsulation and ligand exchange. (ii) Aqueous synthesis technique using short-chain thiols as stabilising agents is a useful alternative to organometallic synthesis of CdSe, CdS and CdTe QDs. (iii) The third method discussed in this article for QDs synthesis involves the utilise of microorganisms to prepare QDs with controlled size, shape, chemical composition and functionality. The authors also discussed recently new methods for the synthesis of the appropriate QDs for use in biology. In addition, attachment of biomolecules such as antibodies, oligonucleotides on the surface of QDs for specific targeting and different opinions about toxicity of QD have been studied.
Nomenclature
QDs quantum dots
TOPO trioctylphosphine oxide
TOP trioctylphosphine
HPA hexylphosphonic acid
TDPA tetradecylphosphonic acid
ODE octadecene
TBP tributylphosphine
OA oleylamine
(TMS)2 S hexamethyldisilathiane
ZnEt2 diethylzinc
DTA dowtherm A
(BDMS)2 Te bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) telluride
HAD hexadecylamine
TEM transmission electron microscopy
HRTEM high-resolution transmission electron microscopy
Cd (Ac)2 cadmium acetate
DDA dodecylamine
BSA bovine serum albumin
TGA thioglycolic acid
GSH glutathione
MSA mercaptosuccinic acid
APTES (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane
AOT dioctyl sulphosuccinate sodium salt (aerosol-OT)
CA cysteamine
TAA thioacetamide
TP tiopronin
PEG polyethylene glycol
MAA mercaptoacetic acid
PLQY photoluminescence quantum yield
1 Introduction
Interest in colloidal inorganic nanoparticles such as semiconductor nanocrystals, metal and magnetic nanoparticles has stably grown in the past two decades because of their unique optoelectronics, magnetic and electrical properties that are different from their bulk structure counterpart [1-13]. Among the various colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, representatively metal chalcogenide nanocrystals, have been interested because of their quantum confinement effects and size-dependent photoemission characteristics [14]. For biological imaging, Cd-based chalcogenide (This term generally refers to sulphur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te) elements of the periodic table) nanocrystals are regarded...