The effects of QD stabilizer structures on pH dependence, fluorescence characteristics, and QD sizes

Abstract CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared in aqueous solution using various mercaptocarboxylic acids such as mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), mercaptoethylamine (MEA), and L-cysteine (L-Cys) as stabilizing agents. The pH control of QD suspensions is essential when using fluorescent QDs in biological systems. The pH-dependent photoluminescence (PL) of MPA- and L-Cys-stabilized CdTe QDs was systematically investigated. Experimental results showed that CdTe-L-Cys is effective within a wider pH range than CdTe-MPA and CdTe-MEA, although it is ineffective in the vicinity of the isoelectric point, which makes CdTe-L-Cys quantum dots potentially suitable as a biological labeling probe under physiological conditions. Meanwhile, the effect of stabilizer structure on QD size was studied by comparing CdTe-MPA and CdTe-L-Cys QDs using x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the coordination of amines with cadmium reduced the activity of Cd precursors, and the coordination of S with the CdTe QDs affected their crystal structure, resulting in the formation of relatively large CdTe-L-Cys quantum dots.