Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Keywords

Quantum dots, Electromagnetic radiation, Ligands, Fluorescence, Nucleic acid structure

Abstract

Ligand cross-linking is known to improve the colloidal stability of nanoparticles, particularly in aqueous solutions. However, most cross-linking is performed chemically, in which it is difficult to limit interparticle cross-linking, unless performed at low concentrations. Photochemical cross-linking is a promising approach but usually requires ultraviolet (UV) light to initiate. Using such high-energy photons can be harmful to systems in which the ligand–nanoparticle bond is fairly weak, as is the case for the commonly used semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Here, we introduce a novel approach to cross-link thiolated ligands on QDs by utilizing the photocatalytic activity of QDs upon absorbing visible light. We show that using visible light leads to better ligand cross-linking by avoiding the problem of ligand dissociation that occurs upon UV light exposure. Once cross-linked, the ligands significantly enhance the colloidal stability of those same QDs that facilitated cross-linking.

Comments

Principal Investigator: Colin Heyes

Acknowledgements: C.D.H. would like to thank the NSF (CHE-1255440), NIH (R21 EB009802-01 and COBRE P30 GM103450), and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute for financial support. M.G.G. would like to thank the NSF (CHE-MRI-0922775) for financial support.

This is an open access article published under an ACS AuthorChoice License, which permits copying and redistribution of the article or any adaptations for non-commercial purposes.

The published version of the article can be accessed here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jp505340c

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