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7090349 
Journal Article 
InP/ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots with strong dual emissions: visible excitonic emission and near-infrared surface defect emission and their application in in vitro and in vivo bioimaging 
Zhang, Jie; Wang, Jie; Yan, T; Peng, Y; Xu, D; Deng, D; , 
2017 
1 
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
ISSN: 2050-750X 
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY 
CAMBRIDGE 
5 
41 
8152-8160 
English 
32264458 
WOS:000413794500001 
Quantum dots (QDs) exhibit many unique optical properties, and show great promise as fluorescent markers in molecular, cellular and in vivo imaging. In this thematic issue, a major concern is their cytotoxicity. Among various Cd-free alternatives, InP-based QDs without highly toxic heavy metal elements have received the most attention. This article first focuses on the synthetic control of oil-soluble InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs, exhibiting strong dual emissions, namely, visible excitonic emission and near-infrared (NIR) surface defect emission. Next, the organic-to-aqueous phase transfer of the dual emissive QDs was explored systematically. It was found that the dual emissions are relatively stable against the water transfer strategies used here; among them, aqueous dual emissive QDs obtained by wrapping oil-soluble QDs with a poly(acrylic acid)-octylamine (PAA-based) amphiphilic polymer (or modified with the cRGD peptide) exhibit enhanced NIR emission. Finally, using in vitro cell and in vivo small animal optical imaging techniques, the bioactivities of the cRGD-modified amphiphilic polymer-wrapped QDs were also investigated. The results confirm that single-wavelength excitation with strong dual emissions ranging from 550 to >1000 nm will endow the InP-based QDs with the capability for biomedical optical imaging across different spatial scales, as a promising alternative for Cd- and Pb-based QDs.