Acid-Resistant Near-Infrared II Ag2Se Quantum Dots for Gastrointestinal Imaging

With the development of near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging, Ag2Se quantum dots (QDs) have become promising label candidates due to their negligible toxicity and narrow band gap. Despite their potential for gastrointestinal (GI) imaging, the application of Ag2Se QDs still presents signifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Analytical chemistry (Washington) 2023-10, Vol.95 (42), p.15540-15548
Main Authors: Yang, Ling-Ling, Zhao, Wei, Liu, Zhen-Ya, Ren, Mengtian, Kong, Juan, Zong, Xia, Luo, Meng-Yao, Tang, Bo, Xie, Jiahongyi, Pang, Dai-Wen, Liu, An-An
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid resistance
Acids
Barium
Biocompatibility
Continuous production
Fluorescence
Glutathione
I.R. radiation
Medical imaging
Microenvironments
Nanocrystals
Near infrared radiation
Peristalsis
Quantum dots
Reducing agents
Stability
Synthesis
Toxicity
X ray imagery
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Summary:With the development of near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging, Ag2Se quantum dots (QDs) have become promising label candidates due to their negligible toxicity and narrow band gap. Despite their potential for gastrointestinal (GI) imaging, the application of Ag2Se QDs still presents significant challenges due to issues such as fluorescence extinction or poor stability in the complex digestive microenvironment. Herein, we have proposed a novel approach to the continuous production of Se precursors using glutathione (GSH) as the reductant under acidic conditions, realizing the continuous growth of water-dispersible Ag2Se QDs. The Ag2Se QDs emitting at 600–1100 nm have been successfully synthesized. Meanwhile, the silver-rich surface of the synthesized NIR-II Ag2Se QDs has been passivated well with the dense GSH, resulting in exceptional colloidal stability and photostability and endowing them with acid resistance. As a result, the obtained NIR-II Ag2Se QDs have exhibited remarkable stability in gastric acid, thus enabling their utilization for long-term real-time monitoring of GI peristalsis via NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Moreover, in contrast to conventional barium meal-based X-ray imaging, NIR-II fluorescence imaging with as-prepared NIR-II Ag2Se QDs can offer clearer visualization of fine intestinal structures, with a width as small as 1.07 mm. The developed strategy has offered a new opportunity for the synthesis of acid-resistant nanocrystals, and the acid-resistant, low-toxicity, and biocompatible NIR-II Ag2Se QDs synthesized in this work show a great promise for GI imaging and diagnosis of GI diseases in vivo.
ISSN:0003-2700
1520-6882
DOI:10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01967