Organic-soluble quantum dots are a type of quantum dot that has been gaining attention in recent years due to their unique properties and potential applications. Quantum dots are nanocrystals made of semiconducting materials that emit light when excited. They have been widely studied for their use in biomedical fields. However, the use of traditional quantum dots has been limited by their insolubility in organic solvents, which are commonly used in many applications.

Organic-soluble quantum dots are designed to overcome this limitation by being coated with a layer of organic molecules that make them soluble in organic solvents such as toluene, chloroform, or hexane. This coating not only allows for easier handling and processing of the quantum dots but also provides additional benefits such as improved stability and protection against degradation.

Fig 1 organic-soluble quantum dots

Biomedical Applications of Organic-soluble Quantum Dots： 

Due to their unique optical properties, organic-soluble quantum dots offer several advantages over traditional fluorescent dyes and proteins used in biomedical imaging.

--Bioimaging: The high brightness and photostability of organic-soluble quantum dots make them ideal for long-term imaging studies. They can also be conjugated with biomolecules such as antibodies, peptides, and nucleic acids to target specific cells or tissues.

--Drug delivery: Organic-soluble quantum dots can also be used for targeted drug delivery. They can be functionalized with drugs or other therapeutic agents and conjugated with targeting molecules to deliver drugs to specific cells or tissues.

--Biosensing: Organic-soluble quantum dots can be functionalized with biomolecules such as antibodies, enzymes, or nucleic acids to selectively bind to target molecules. Biosensors based on organic-soluble quantum dots offer several advantages, including high sensitivity, selectivity, and multiplexing capabilities.

--Photodynamic therapy: Quantum dots can be functionalized with photosensitizers and conjugated with targeting molecules to selectively target cancer cells.

Production of Organic-soluble Quantum Dots： 

The production of organic-soluble quantum dots involves several steps, including the synthesis of quantum dots, surface modification, purification, and characterization.

Synthesis of quantum dots: There are several methods for synthesizing quantum dots, including colloidal synthesis, chemical vapor deposition, and electrochemical synthesis. Colloidal synthesis is the most commonly used method for synthesizing quantum dots.

Surface modification: There are several methods for surface modification, including ligand exchange, ligand addition, and encapsulation. Ligand exchange is the most commonly used method for surface modification of quantum dots.

Purification: Purification can be done using several methods, including centrifugation, dialysis, and column chromatography. Centrifugation is the most commonly used method for purifying of quantum dots. In this method, the quantum dots are centrifuged at high speed to separate them from the unreacted reagents or impurities.

Characterization: There are several methods for characterization, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering.

Product Description： 

Organic soluble quantum dots are tiny particles or nanocrystals, and they are semiconductor materials with a diameter of 2-10 nanometers (10-50 atoms). Because electrons and holes are confined by quantum, the continuous energy band structure becomes a discrete energy level structure with molecular characteristics, which will emit fluorescence after being excited. As an artificial nanostructure, the size, shape, composition and structure of quantum dots can be controlled, and a large number of nanocrystals with good consistency can be produced, which is one of the four types of nanomaterials that may be applied on a large scale.

Organic soluble quantum dots have a wide range of applications in biomedicine, and are also an important part of self-assembled functional nanocomponents. Organic soluble quantum dots have many advantages. The long-lasting stability allows researchers to observe cells and tissues for a longer time and make interface modifications and connections without difficulty. Organic soluble quantum dots (including different sizes) prepared by Alpha Lifetech Inc. have uniform size, a high quantum yield, and good thermal stability.

Quality Advantage： 

1. Monodisperse without agglomeration and aggregation

2. Comprehensive characterization: TEM, UV-Vis, and DLS

3. Tunable emission range from visible to near-infrared wavelength

4. Long fluorescence life and high intensity

5. Good biocompatibility and light stability

Applications： 

1. Used for cancer diagnosis and quality

2. Passive labeling probe for protein labeling

3. Active sensor in high resolution cell imaging