A simple synthetic route to highly luminescent, water-soluble CdTe nanoparticles and their use in biological imaging is presented. The new synthetic pathway utilises a simply-prepared, watersoluble tellurium precursor which is easily handled and stored and the resulting growth processes are discussed.

The requirement for narrow emission profiles and systems that do not include metals perceived to be cytotoxic, has led to an increase in the reports on rare-earth (Ln) materials, with fluoride-based materials in particular attracting attention. This class of compounds includes rare-earth fluorides (LnF(3)), rare-earth oxyfluorides (LnOF) and alkali metal rare-earth fluorides (MLnF(4), where M represents an alkali metal). Here we will describe the main reactions outlining key developments in roughly chronological order.

CdSe nanoparticles have been prepared, using the phosphonium ionic liquid trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentylphosphinate) as a solvent and capping agent.

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In this communication, we report the unusually extensive uni-directional self-assembly of nanoparticulate EuF(3) and discuss the origins behind such behaviour.