Thiol–Ene Click Reaction as a Facile and General Approach for Surface Functionalization of Colloidal Nanocrystals

Abstract

Oleic acid (OA) and/or oleylamine (OAm) are generally used as the surface ligands for stabilization of inorganic nanocrystals (NCs). The hydrophobic and inert surface of the NCs limits their applications such as in biomedical areas. Hence, surface modifications are essential in many physical and chemical processes. Here, a facile and versatile strategy is reported for the modification of NCs by ultraviolet-induced thiol-ene chemistry, in which thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (HSPEG) and its derivatives can react directly with double bonds in OA/OAm ligands to form covalent linking within one step. Through this strategy, various hydrophobic NCs with different compositions and morphologies are able to be transferred into water combining with functionalization of active groups. As a proof-of-concept, this strategy is successfully used to construct a sensor for detecting avidin based on upconverting luminescence analysis. Therefore, this strategy provides a new tool for designing and tuning the surface properties of NCs for different applications.

Impact of Lanthanide Nanomaterials on Photonic Devices and Smart Applications

“…To add molecular functionality to nanoparticles and to render them highly stable in biological conditions, the crucial step is to develop a robust synthetic approach for surface modification leading to high‐density coverage with hydrophilic and biocompatible molecules. To meet this requirement, many functionalization methods have been developed, including surface coating with silica, nanosized gold, polymers, biomolecules, proteins, or stabilized DNA ( Figure ) . These multimodal in vivo contrast agents can be detected simultaneously via optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X‐ray computed tomography (CT), etc .…”

Large-scale preparation for efficient polymer-based room-temperature phosphorescence via click chemistry

“…Click chemistry methodologies, especially the catalyst-free click reaction, have drawn numerous attention recently because of its merits with relatively mild reaction condition, high efficiency, and high yield ( 18 , 19 ). These prominent features are essential benefits that could be extensively exploited in organic synthesis, polymerization, and bioengineering ( 20 ).…”

Morphologically controlled synthesis of ionic cesium iodide colloidal nanocrystals and electron beam-induced transformations

“…It is known that experimental conditions such as the type and ratio of precursors and ligand types, reaction temperature and time, play important roles in determining the nal shape of asprepared NCs. [28][29][30] The illustration of the shape-controlled preparation of CsI NCs is presented in Scheme 1, which indicates that these morphology variations in this work are attributed to the different precursor ratio and the choice of coordinating ligands. As the ratio of I À and Cs + precursors is increased from 1 to 3, the shape of CsI NCs changes accordingly from nanospheres to hexagonal nanoplates.…”