Biological applications of ternary quantum dots: A review

Semiconductor nanomaterials, also known as quantum dots (QDs), have gained significant interest due to their outstanding optical properties with potential biological and biomedical applications. However, the presence of heavy toxic metals such as Cd, Pb, and Hg in conventional QDs have been a major...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology reviews (Berlin) 2022-06, Vol.11 (1), p.2304-2319
Main Authors: Aladesuyi, Olanrewaju A., Lebepe, Thabang C., Maluleke, Rodney, Oluwafemi, Oluwatobi S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biocompatibility
biodistribution
Biological properties
Biomedical materials
biophotonics
Biosensors
Cadmium
Emissions
Energy transfer
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer
FRET
gene delivery
Gene transfer
Heavy metals
imaging
Lead
Mercury (metal)
Microscopes
Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology
Optical properties
Pharmacokinetics
Quantum dots
Toxicity
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Summary:Semiconductor nanomaterials, also known as quantum dots (QDs), have gained significant interest due to their outstanding optical properties with potential biological and biomedical applications. However, the presence of heavy toxic metals such as Cd, Pb, and Hg in conventional QDs have been a major challenge in their applications. Therefore, it is imperative to seek a viable alternative that will be non-toxic and have similar optical properties as the conventional QDs. Ternary I–III–VI QDs have been found to be suitable alternatives. Their optical properties are tunable and have emissions in the near-infrared region. These properties make them useful in a wide range of biological applications. Hence, this review focuses on the recent progress in the use of ternary QDs in Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), nanomedical applications such as drug and gene delivery. It also discusses the biophotonic application of ternary I–III–VI QDs in optical imaging, biosensing, and multimodal imaging. Furthermore, we looked at the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of these QDs, and their toxicity concerns. Finally, we looked at the current status, challenges, and future directions in the application of these ternary QDs.
ISSN:2191-9097
2191-9089
2191-9097
DOI:10.1515/ntrev-2022-0136