A Novel Metallogel Based Approach to Synthesize (Mn, Cu) Doped ZnS Quantum Dots and Labelling of MCF-7 Cancer Cells.

Soumya Bhowal, Arijit Ghosh, Srijita Paul Chowdhuri, Raju Mondal, Benu Brata Das

Index: 10.1039/C7DT03864J

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Abstract

The present work aims to formulate a common synthetic strategy for preparing quantum dots (QDs) in a greener way by using the combination of popular methods, viz. colloidal method with suitable capping agent, low molecular weight gel based synthesis. Pyridine dicarboxylic acid (PDC) in presence of AlCl3 forms a stable metallogel which serves as an excellent media for ZnS QD synthesis selectively. The aromatic pyridine moiety, well known for capping agent, indeed play its part in the run up to QD synthesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a metallogel based doped ZnS QD synthesis. Altering the doping material and their compositions changes the properties of the QDs, but here we also tried to establish that how these changes affect the gel morphology and stability of both gel and QDs. We further show by using live cell confocal microscopy the delivery of QDs Cu ZnS and MnZnS nanomaterials in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of human breast cancer cells (MCF7), implicating the use of metallogel based QDs for bio-imaging and bio-labelling.