Synthesis and Surface Modification of Fluorescent Semiconductor Nanoparticles, and Their Use for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Semiconductor nanoparticles that are called as quantum dots are a new class of fluorescent materials for use in biolabeling, biosensing, and bioimaging. Compared with traditional organic fluorophores and fluorescent proteins, quantum dots have unique optical properties such as size-dependent emission, high brightness, and high resistance to photobleaching. At 1993, Bawendi group first reported a chemical synthesis of high-quality CdE （E＝S, Se, Te） semiconductor quantum dots. Since then, synthetic methods for preparing highly fluorescent quantum dots that emit at visible to near infrared regions have been extensively developed. In this short review, synthesis and surface modification of quantum dots, and their possible application to biomedical fields are described.