General and facile surface functionalization of hydrophobic nanocrystals with poly(amino acid) for cell luminescence imaging.

ABSTRACT: Hydrophobic nanocrystals with various shape, size, and chemical composition were successfully functionalized by poly(amino acid) with one particle per micelle without aggregation or precipitation via a facile, general, and low-cost strategy. Via simply tuning the pH value, multifunctional nanocomposites consisting of different nanocrystals were also fabricated. Due to the poly(amino acid) coating, these nanocrystals are highly water-stable, biocompatible, and bioconjugatable with chemical and biological moieties. Meanwhile, their shape, size, optical/magnetic properties are well retained, which is highly desirable for bioapplications. This developed strategy presents a novel opportunity to apply hydrophobic nanocrystals to various biomedical fields.

SUBMITTER: Huang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3685825 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature