Cadmium-free quantum dot

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with a size less than 10 nm.[1][2] [3] They exhibited size-dependent properties especially in the optical absorption and the photoluminescence (PL). Typically, the fluorescence emission peak of the QDs can be tuned by changing their diameters. So far, QDs were consisted of different group elements such as CdTe, CdSe, CdS in the II-VI category, InP or InAs in the III-V category, CuInS2 or AgInS2 in the I–III–VI2 category, and PbSe/PbS in the IV-VI category. These QDs are promising candidates as fluorescent labels in various biological applications such as bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery.

However, most of the QDs in the commercial market are cadmium (Cd)-based QDs. Their potential toxicity in the biological environment has been debated over the past decade as the Cd2+ ions released from the QD surface are highly toxic to the cells and tissues.[4][5] Thus, many researchers have focused on the development of cadmium-free quantum dots (CFQDs) in the 2010s.[6][7][8]

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  2. ^ Efros, A. L.; Nesbitt, D. J. (2016). "Origin and control of blinking in quantum dots". Nature Nanotechnology. 11 (8): 661–71. Bibcode:2016NatNa..11..661E. doi:10.1038/nnano.2016.140. PMID 27485584.
  3. ^ Shishodia, Shubham; Chouchene, Bilel; Gries, Thomas; Schneider, Raphaël (2023-10-31). "Selected I-III-VI2 Semiconductors: Synthesis, Properties and Applications in Photovoltaic Cells". Nanomaterials. 13 (21): 2889. doi:10.3390/nano13212889. ISSN 2079-4991. PMC 10648425.
  4. ^ Choi, H. S.; Liu, W.; Misra, P.; Tanaka, E.; Zimmer, J. P.; Itty Ipe, B.; Bawendi, M. G.; Frangioni, J. V. (2007). "Renal clearance of quantum dots". Nature Biotechnology. 25 (10): 1165–70. doi:10.1038/nbt1340. PMC 2702539. PMID 17891134.
  5. ^ Oh, E.; Liu, R.; Nel, A.; Gemill, K. B; Bilal, M.; Cohen, Y.; Medintz, I. L. (2016). "Meta-analysis of cellular toxicity for cadmium-containing quantum dots". Nature Nanotechnology. 11 (5): 479–86. Bibcode:2016NatNa..11..479O. doi:10.1038/nnano.2015.338. PMID 26925827.
  6. ^ Xu, G.; Zeng, S.; Zhang, B.; Swihart, M. T; Yong, K. T; Prasad, P. N (2016). "New Generation Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots for Biophotonics and Nanomedicine". Chemical Reviews. 116 (19): 12234–12327. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00290. hdl:10220/41591. PMID 27657177.
  7. ^ Liu, X.; Braun, G. B; Zhong, H.; Hall, D. J; Han, W.; Qin, M.; Zhao, C.; Wang, M.; She, Z. G; Cao, C.; Sailor, M. J; Stallcup, W. B; Ruoslahti, E.; Sugahara, K. N (2016). "Tumor-Targeted Multimodal Optical Imaging with Versatile Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots". Advanced Functional Materials. 26 (2): 267–276. doi:10.1002/adfm.201503453. PMC 4948596. PMID 27441036.
  8. ^ Yaghini, E.; Turner, H. D; Le Marois, A. M; Suhling, K.; Naasani, I.; MacRobert, A. J. (2016). "In vivo biodistribution studies and ex vivo lymph node imaging using heavy metal-free quantum dots". Biomaterials. 104: 182–91. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.07.014. PMC 4993815. PMID 27454064.