Synthetic Approach to Biotinylated Glyco-Functionalized Quantum Dots: A New Fluorescent Probes for Biomedical Applications.

Abstract

Technological advances that allow deeper penetration in live tissues, such as the development of confocal and the generation of ever-new fluorophores that facilitate bright labeling of cells and tissue components have made imaging of vertebrate model organisms efficient and highly informative. Recently, high luminescence, single-excitation narrow emission, low photo bleaching properties, and low toxicity of high-quality water-soluble QDs have attracted attention for in vivo labeling/imaging of cells. Herein we describe a synthetic approach to biotinylated glycopolymer functionalized quantum dots, with special emphasis on the development of high-quality water-soluble and bioactive QDs with low toxicity for fluorescent probes in biomedical applications.