Abstract
Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have become a unique class of materials with great potential for applications in biomedical and optoelectronic devices. However, conventional QDs contains toxic heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Hg. Hence, it is imperative to find an alternative material with similar optical properties and low cytotoxicity. Among these materials, CuInS2 (CIS) QDs have attracted a lot of interest due to their direct band gap in the infrared region, large optical absorption coefficient and low toxic composition. These factors make them a good material for biomedical application. This review starts with the origin and photophysical characteristics of CIS QDs. This is followed by various synthetic strategies, including synthesis in organic and aqueous solvents, and the tuning of their optical properties. Lastly, their significance in various biological applications is presented with their prospects in clinical applications.
Highlights
Semiconductor nanoparticles, referred to as zero-dimensional material or quantum dots (QDs), have gained significant interest in many areas of applications ranging from water to energy, sensing and biological applications due to their quantum confinement effect [1,2,3,4]
The hydrophobic QDs can effectively be transferred into aqueous media through the ligand exchange process, which can facilitate their use in biomedical applications
Core/shell QDs have been tested in vivo and in vitro in various cell lines and animals for tumor imaging, lymph node imaging, etc., which shows the excellent applicability of the material for a clinical trial
Summary
Semiconductor nanoparticles, referred to as zero-dimensional material or quantum dots (QDs), have gained significant interest in many areas of applications ranging from water to energy, sensing and biological applications due to their quantum confinement effect [1,2,3,4]. But with a broad fulla reports on the tuning of its emission position as the diameter of the CIS changes [20,21] but with width maxima (FWHM). After various reports,ofthis broadness of photoluminescence been shown to of the size distribution in the case of CIS-based. QDs and can be attributed to the distribution of be independent of the size distribution in the case of CIS-based QDs and can be attributed to the vibrational states [21,22] This shows that quantum size effects are not the only factors that can distribution of vibrational states [21,22]. QDs depends on the size and on the composition, crystal phase, can conclude that the optical property of ternary QDs depends on the size and on the ordering and surface passivation.
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