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PubMed · 16150591

Semiconductor nanocrystals for biological imaging.

Aihua Fu·Weiwei Gu·Carolyn Larabell·A Paul Alivisatos
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Abstract

Conventional organic fluorophores suffer from poor photo stability, narrow absorption spectra and broad emission spectra. Semiconductor nanocrystals, however, are highly photo-stable with broad absorption spectra and narrow size-tunable emission spectra. Recent advances in the synthesis of these materials have resulted in the generation of bright, sensitive, extremely photo-stable and biocompatible semiconductor fluorophores. Commercial availability facilitates their application in a variety of unprecedented biological experiments, including multiplexed cellular imaging, long-term in vitro and in vivo labeling, deep tissue structure mapping and single particle investigation of dynamic cellular processes. Semiconductor nanocrystals are one of the first examples of nanotechnology enabling a new class of biomedical applications.

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AnimalsCrystallizationDiagnostic ImagingHumansNanotechnologyQuantum DotsSemiconductorsJournal ArticleResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Review

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Aihua Fu, Weiwei Gu, Carolyn Larabell, A Paul Alivisatos. 2005. Semiconductor nanocrystals for biological imaging.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2005.08.004

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