ABSTRACT
Fluorescent quantum dots (Qdots) are a new class of semiconductor nanomaterials typically in the size range between 2 nm and 10 nm with some unique optical properties. The Qdot nanotechnology has tremendous potential to revolutionize the field of biomedical imaging and biosensing in the near future, despite toxicological issues associated with the presence of heavy metals in Qdots which may limit their applications in humans. The chapter focuses on biomedical applications of various Qdots. Hot solution phase mediated Qdot synthesis is the most popular technique of synthesizing high quality Qdots. Qdots are synthesized at elevated temperatures in high boiling point non-polar organic solvents. Water-soluble Qdots are relatively large in size to enter into cells by crossing the lipid bilayer of the cellular membrane. Qdots are often endocytosed non-specifically and end up in the endocytic vessicles. In vivo imaging with Qdots has been reported for lymph node mapping, blood pool imaging, and angiogenic vessels and cell subtype isolation.
