Chemical synthesis and surface modification of ZnO nanocrystals for bio-imaging

Abstract

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) offer significant advantages over organic fluorophores; however, the cytotoxicity, complex and toxic synthesis processes, and missing colours in blue-violet range (< 490nm) are major issues for their extended in vivo bio-applications. While ZnO is a good candidate because of its wide band-gap, large exciton binding energy, bio-compatible core material, and bio-friendly synthesis processing, chemically pure ZnO colloidal nanocrystals in quantum size, with excellent optical properties, and bio-compatible surface functionalities are not yet available.