Abstract
Ag2S quantum dots (Qds) are a new type of near-infrared Qds and hold great potential for in vivo imaging. There is great demand for versatile, practical, and environmentally-friendly processes for formation of hydrophilic Ag2S Qds. The present study prepared hydrophilic Ag2S near-infrared Qds using a simple, easy, one-step method. The Qds were characterized by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, UV–Visible and PL spectroscopy and the effect of the reaction variables of time, temperature, precipitation agent feeding rate, and S:Ag molar ratio on the size and PL spectrum of the Ag2S Qds was investigated. The Qds exhibited near-infrared photoluminescence and good photostability, which was evaluated under different conditions. Cytotoxicity tests were carried out on human A549 and Hep G2 cell lines at concentrations of 6.25–200 µg/ml. MTT assay revealed that the Qds showed no significant toxicity. The effect of plasma and corona proteins on the hemolytic activity of Ag2S Qds in four concentrations was evaluated for rat and human red blood cells. In vivo imaging showed that the Ag2S Qds penetrated the body of mice with excellent brightness. The hydrophilic Ag2S Qds can be safely applied as near-infrared optical imaging probes for nanodiagnostics or in vivo imaging.
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