Novel Synthesis of CdSe Quantum Dots in a Confined Space by Using a High Internal Phase Emulsion and Their Application in Fluorescent Labeling

Abstract

The synthesis of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) in a confined space constructed by the aqueous continuous phase of high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) at room temperature was proposed, and the obtained high quality QDs was applied as the label of amino groups in epoxy resin. In a typical system of oil-in-water HIPE, the aqueous solution film containing selenium powder, cadmium chloride, and 3-mercaptopropionic acid was squeezed by the droplet of toluene and acted as a nanoreactor, and then QDs nanoparticles with high fluorescence intensity were generated at room temperature. The morphologies of HIPE containing QDs were observed by fluorescence microscopy, and the QDs product were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and UV-vis Spectrophotometer. The effect of the confined space, including the stability, the dimension of continuous phase, and the interface structure of HIPE, on the fluorescence performance of QDs were investigated. Furthermore, the mechanism of 'temporary ligand' was proposed to explain the better performance of QDs prepared at the introduction of ionic emulsifier. Finally, attributed to the inherent carboxylic end ligands of obtained QDs, it is applied to mark the amino curing agent in the epoxy resin, and the visualized observation of the dispersion of amino curing agent in epoxy matrix was realized.[a] Dr.

<p>The Biological Activity Research of the Nano-Drugs Based on 5-Fluorouracil-Modified Quantum Dots</p>

“…16,17 Since amino acids are mostly water-soluble and inexpensive, they have frequently been used as capping agents for QDs. [18][19][20][21] The amino acids are often linked to the surface of QDs, followed by attachment of other drugs with antitumor activity and the biomolecule with tumor cells targeting ability to form targeted drug delivery systems. [22][23][24] 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite and a constituent of RNA.…”

pH/UV Responsive Polymeric Micelles Based on Coumarin to Tune Emulsification/Solidification Performance

“…Recently, tremendous efforts had been devoted to emulsifiers in many areas such as cosmetics, heterogeneous catalysis, and food industry . Various emulsifiers, including surfactants, proteins, particles, and polymers, had been utilized to stabilize and control Pickering emulsions during the past decade. Compared with other emulsifiers, polymers possessed varied chain conformations and stimulating functions, which could facilitate the formation of complex Pickering emulsions .…”