Title
Aqueous synthesis of Cu-doped Zn-based quantum dots with light-enhanced cytotoxic capacity for potential biomedical applications
Date Issued
01 June 2016
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
Publisher(s)
Bentham Science Publishers B.V.
Abstract
Background: Quantum dots are novel nanomaterials with high potential in the biomedical field. Methods: This manuscript reports the direct aqueous synthesis of Cu-doped Zn(Se,S) quantum dots (QDs) via a microwave irradiation-assisted technique. Results: X-ray diffractometry measurements suggested that synthesized nanostructures exhibited a Zn(Se,S) solid solution-like structure with an average crystallite size estimated at 3.6 ± 0.3 nm, which was also corroborated by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy. Fluorescence measurements of the QDs revealed a green emission peak, centered on 519 nm, that would confirm the actual incorporation of copper species into the Zn(Se,S) host. The toxicity of light-activated QDs was evaluated in cell lines of pancreatic cancer, PANC-1. The viability assay for the PANC-1 control group after 15 minutes of UV exposure was 83% ± 8%. This value went down to 40% ± 7% and 25% ± 2% after contacting the cells with Cu-doped Zn-based QDs, (50 µg/mL), for UV irradiation times of 15 minutes and 60 minutes, respectively. Conclusion: The confirmed capacity of the QDs to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen species could explain their observed light-enhanced toxicity towards PANC-1. Accordingly, as-synthesized Cu-doped Zn-based QDs can be potentially considered as direct photosensitizers for bio-medical applications.
Start page
396
End page
401
Volume
12
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Nano-tecnología Oncología Ingeniería de materiales
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84964255294
Source
Current Nanoscience
ISSN of the container
1573-4137
Sponsor(s)
This work was financially supported by The National Science Foundation under Grant No. HRD 0833112 (CREST program).
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus