Biocompatible fluorescent silicon nanocrystals for single-molecule tracking and fluorescence imaging

Abstract

Lack of photobleaching and blinking of new silicon nanocrystals allows direct observation of single-molecule receptor internalization and large-scale mosaicism in the plasma membrane.

Fluorescent sensor for Cr(VI) based in functionalized silicon quantum dots with dendrimers

“…Later, with the demand for more biocompatible QDs, cadmium-free QDs were introduced, such as silicon QDs (SiQDs), carbon dots, and graphene QDs [8][9][10][11][12]. The strongest advantage of Si QDs lies in their good biocompatibility, at least 10 times safer than Cd-based QDs under UV irradiation, [13] SiQDs are fluorescent zerodimensional silicon nanoparticles, [10] ranging from 1-10 nm in diameter [14,15], resistant to photobleaching [16,17] and a tunable quantum confinement [18] controlled by the surface functionalization [19].…”

Single-dot absorption spectroscopy and theory of silicon nanocrystals

“…PLE of individual quantum dots was demonstrated for direct band-gap materials [12][13][14], but it is much more difficult to perform on single Si nanocrystals due to their low emission rate, stemming from ∼μs exciton lifetimes [15]. At the same time, understanding the electronic structure of Si nanocrystals * Corresponding author: ilyas@kth.se relevant for light absorption is central to their application as phosphors [16], biolabels [17], sensitizers [18], downshifters [19], or photon multipliers [20].…”

Nanodiamonds and silicon quantum dots: ultrastable and biocompatible luminescent nanoprobes for long-term bioimaging

“…235 Biodegradation time could be controlled by changing the size and porosity of the NPs, features that mostly depend on the current density applied during the synthesis. 237,238 Kusumi et al recently proposed chemical etching 239 as an alternative to the electrochemical process. 235 As a drawback, electrochemical etching produces a very polydisperse suspension of aggregates of Si NCs mixed to silicon fragments that need separation.…”

“…239 The Si NCs were prepared by chemical etching of a silicon wafer and functionalized when still bound to the bulk silicon with mercaptosilane. In a non-cancerous cell line, galactoside binding galactines-4, -7, and -8 are absent.…”