The preparation of colloidally stable, water-soluble, biocompatible, semiconductor nanocrystals with a small hydrodynamic diameter.

Lees, Emma E; Nguyen, Tich-Lam; Clayton, Andrew H A; Muir, Benjamin W; Mulvaney, Paul · ACS Nano · 2009

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We report a simple, economical method for generating water-soluble, biocompatible nanocrystals that are colloidally robust and have a small hydrodynamic diameter. The nanocrystal phase transfer technique utilizes a low molecular weight amphiphilic polymer that is formed via maleic anhydride coupling of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) with either ethanolamine or Jeffamine M-1000 polyetheramine. The polymer encapsulated water-soluble nanocrystals exhibit the same optical spectra as those formed initially in organic solvents, preserve photoluminescence intensities, are colloidally stable over a wide pH range (pH 3-13), have a small hydrodynamic diameter, and exhibit low levels of nonspecific binding to cells.

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