CdTe/CdS/ZnS core-shell-shell (CSS) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in aqueous solution via water-bathing combined hydrothermal method using L-cysteine (L-Cys) as a stabilizer. This method possesses both the advantages of water-bathing and hydrothermal methods, and thus can prepare CSS QDs with markedly reduced synthesis time than previously reported methods. The as-prepared QDs display a higher fluorescent intensity than bare CdTe or CdTe/CdS. After co-cultured with yeast at different growth phase, the as-prepared L-Cys capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs showed much less toxicity than the other CdTe or CdTe/CdS QDs. Our results demonstrate that the CSS QD would have a promising potential in fields of bio-labeling and cell imaging.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.