Chapter 3 - Quantum Dots and Nanoclusters

Abstract

With the recent developments of nanotechnology and advances in biotechnology, functional nanomaterials have been widely used in clinical diagnosis or therapy in the 21st century. In particular, quantum dots and nanoclusters are two unique nanomaterials because of their unique zero-dimensional property, which determines their superiority for proteins detection than any other nanomaterials. In general, the fluorescence characteristics of quantum dots and nanoclusters depend on the particle size. In addition, both quantum dots and nanoclusters show relatively stable optical properties, good biocompatibility, large Stokes shift, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer capability. However, compared to quantum dots, nanoclusters are emerging as a more promising nanomaterial, due to their smaller size. This review describes recent developments in the functionalization of quantum dots and nanoclusters via advanced techniques, as well as their excellent performance in protein assays for clinical use. Moreover, some still existing challenges and their future prospects are also presented.