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Aqueous Synthesis of l-Cysteine Stabilized Water-Dispersible CdS:Mn Quantum Dots for Biosensing Applications

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Abstract

The present work reports the aqueous synthesis of l-cysteine (2-amino 3-mercaptopropionic acid) capped manganese-doped cadmium sulphide quantum dots (QDs). l-Cysteine functions both as a sulfur source and the stabilizer during the synthesis. The product collected at different time intervals during the reaction showed red shifts in their absorption onsets (peak shifts 380 → 395 → 420 nm) and respective emission (peak shifts 585 → 610 → 660 nm) onsets. Nanoparticles of the average size of 3 ± 0.5 nm were obtained. Based on the theoretical calculations, the maximum band gap energy of the synthesized nanocrystals is found to be 2.83 eV. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies have confirmed the presence of carboxylic and amine functional groups. Atomic force and electron microscopic techniques have verified the formation of the nanosized QDs. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry has confirmed the doping of manganese in the CdS structure, while X-ray diffractometry established the crystal structure as of zinc blend type. The proposed l-cysteine capped CdS:Mn QDs can be termed as multifunctional crystals, which are useful for the assembly of fluorescent molecular probes for clinical analysis and disease diagnosis. The proposed nanocrystals can also be potentially used as contrast agents in the magnetic resonance imaging due to the presence of manganese.

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Acknowledgments

One of the authors (Parveen Kumar) is grateful to the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India for providing the Senior Research Fellowship. Thanks are due to the Director, CSIO Chandigarh, India for providing necessary facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Division, Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), Chandigarh, 160030, India

    Parveen Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Lalit M Bharadwaj, Ashok K. Paul & Akash Deep

  2. Biochemistry Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

    Sukesh C Sharma

  3. Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, CGC, Landran, Mohali, Punjab, 140307, India

    Preeti Kush

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  1. Parveen Kumar
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Correspondence to Akash Deep.

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Kumar, P., Kumar, P., Bharadwaj, L.M. et al. Aqueous Synthesis of l-Cysteine Stabilized Water-Dispersible CdS:Mn Quantum Dots for Biosensing Applications. BioNanoSci. 3, 95–101 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-013-0078-5

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