Abstract
Multicolor ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized and further modified with hydrophobic hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDS) and then hydrophilic aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) bilayers, resulting in amine-functionalized ZnO@HDS@APS nanocomposites with tunable fluorescence from blue to green yellow. Systematic investigations verify that the resulting ZnO@HDS@APS could display extremely high stability in aqueous media and unexpectedly, dramatically-enhanced fluorescence intensities, which are about 10-fold higher than those of bare ZnO QDs. The feasibility of the as-prepared ZnO nanocomposites for blood, cell, and tissue imaging was preliminarily demonstrated, promising the wide bio-applications for cell or tissue imaging, proteome analysis, drug delivery, and molecular labeling.
Highlights
Multicolor ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized and further modified with hydrophobic hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDS) and hydrophilic aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) bilayers, resulting in amine-functionalized ZnO@HDS@APS nanocomposites with tunable fluorescence from blue to green yellow
Here, a bi-silanization modification route was conducted for multicolor ZnO QDs
Multicolor ZnO QDs were initially synthesized by the modified sol-gel route of ultrasonic chemistry at 0uC with varying [LiOH]/[Zn21] ratios
Summary
The surface silanization route has been currently employed to modify ZnO QDs, but showing the stable luminescence in non-aqueous media or organic solution only[16,30]. The developed bi-silanization strategy was employed for the modification of several kinds of multicolor ZnO QDs, which were synthesized at varying [LiOH]/[Zn21] ratios of 2.5, 2.1, 1.7, 1.3, and 1.0 in ethanol, resulting in functionalized ZnO@ HDS@APS nanocomposites with tunable fluorescence from blue to green yellow (see Fig. 7). The resulting functionalized ZnO@HDS@APS nanocomposites could present tunable fluorescence from blue to green yellow They could enjoy aqueous ultrastability and surface functionalization and unexpectedly, the dramatically-enhanced fluorescence intensities, which are about 10 times higher than those of bare ZnO QDs. The topological structure and composition changes and optical performances of the as-prepared ZnO@HDS@APS in ethanol and water were systematically demonstrated versus ZnO QDs by using TEM imaging, XRD, IR spectra, UV-vis spectra, and fluorescence spectra. Such a facile bi-silanization route should be extended for the modification of varying nanomaterials like a variety of QDs to enhance their fluorescence, surface functionalization, and aqueous stability for the optical and biological applications on a large scale
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