Abstract

The gold-doped cadmium telluride (Au:CdTe) nanocrystals were synthesized by aqueous solution route using L-glutathione and L-cysteine as stabilizers. As-prepared Au:CdTe nanocrystals have good monodispersity and a zinc-blende structure. Compared with undoped CdTe nanocrystals, the Au:CdTe nanocrystals exhibited improved photostability, higher cellular affinity, and lower cytotoxicity. The Au:CdTe nanocrystals were used as probes for long-term noninvasive fluorescence imaging in living cells (The human lung epithelial carcinoma A549 cells). They could be endocytic uptaken by A549 cells and stably labeled the cytoplasm for over a week. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, the Au:CdTe NCs could be observed in vesicles after being uptaken by A549 cells. Doping semiconductor nanocrystals with gold has the potential to engineer the photostability and biocompatibility for extensive biomedical applications. This work developed a facile aqueous solution route to synthesize gold-doped semiconductor nanocrystals and may assist in the design of doped nanobiomaterials.

Authors

Han S, Mu Y, Jin W, Wu Q, Zhu Q, Jin Q

Institution

Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Labaratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

Source

Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology 11:12 2011 Dec pg 10302-8

MeSH

Cadmium Compounds
Cell Line
Gold
Humans
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Microscopy, Fluorescence
Nanoparticles
Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
Tellurium
Water

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22408902