ABSTRACT
A facile method is developed for the preparation of high-quality, water-soluble, and near-infrared (NIR)-emitting CdSeTe alloyed quantum dots (AQdots) with L-cysteine as the capping agent. By changing the size and the composition of AQdots the photoluminescent quantum yield (QY) can reach as high as 53% and the emission color can be tuned between visible and NIR regions (580-814 nm). Furthermore, the prepared NIR-emitting AQdots have been successfully applied for HL-60 cell imaging and glucose and cholesterol assay, which demonstrates the great potential of the AQdots for biological applications.
Subject(s)
Alloys/chemistry , Cadmium/chemistry , Diagnostic Imaging/methods , Nanotechnology/methods , Quantum Dots , Selenium/chemistry , Tellurium/chemistry , Alloys/chemical synthesis , HL-60 Cells , HumansABSTRACT
Gelatin-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-gelatin) with hydrophilic and biocompatible were prepared with a simple and "green" route by reducing in situ tetrachloroauric acid in gelatin. The nanoparticles showed the excellent colloidal stability. UV-vis spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy revealed the formation of well-dispersed AuNPs with different sizes. By combination of the biocompatibility of AuNPs and excellent conductivity of carboxylic single-walled carbon nanotubes (c-SWNTs), a novel nanocomposite was designed for the immobilization and cytosensing of HL-60 cells at electrodes. The immobilized cells showed sensitive voltammetric response, good activity, and increased electron-transfer resistance. It can be used as a highly sensitive impedance sensor for HL-60 cells ranging from 1 x 10(4) to 1 x 10(7) cell mL(-1) with a limit of detection of 5 x 10(3) cell mL(-1). Moreover, the nanocomposite could effectively facilitate the interaction of adriamycin (ADR) with HL-60 cells and remarkably enhance the permeation and drug uptake of anticancer agents in the cancer cells, which could readily lead to the induction of the cell death of leukemia cells.
