10.1080/14686996.2016.1153939
Elisabetta Fanizza
Elisabetta
Fanizza
Carmine Urso
Carmine
Urso
R. Maria Iacobazzi
R. Maria
Iacobazzi
Nicoletta Depalo
Nicoletta
Depalo
Michela Corricelli
Michela
Corricelli
Annamaria Panniello
Annamaria
Panniello
Angela Agostiano
Angela
Agostiano
Nunzio Denora
Nunzio
Denora
Valentino Laquintana
Valentino
Laquintana
Marinella Striccoli
Marinella
Striccoli
M. Lucia Curri
M. Lucia
Curri
Fabrication of photoactive heterostructures based on quantum dots decorated with Au nanoparticles
Taylor & Francis Group
2016
Quantum dots
metal nanoparticles
plasmonic luminescent nanostructures
multimodal bioimaging
10 Engineering and Structural materials
2016-04-20 13:43:09
Journal contribution
https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Fabrication_of_photoactive_heterostructures_based_on_quantum_dots_decorated_with_Au_nanoparticles/3187213
<p>Silica based multifunctional heterostructures, exhibiting near infrared (NIR) absorption (650–1200 nm) and luminescence in the visible region, represent innovative nanosystems useful for diagnostic or theranostic applications. Herein, colloidal synthetic procedures are applied to design a photoactive multifunctional nanosystem. Luminescent silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>) coated quantum dots (QDs) have been used as versatile nanoplatforms to assemble on their surface gold (Au) seeds, further grown into Au spackled structures. The synthesized nanostructures combine the QD emission in the visible region, and, concomitantly, the distinctive NIR absorption of Au nanodomains. The possibility of having multiple QDs in a single heterostructure, the SiO<sub>2</sub> shell thickness, and the extent of Au deposition onto SiO<sub>2</sub> surface have been carefully controlled. The work shows that a single QD entrapped in 16 nm thick SiO<sub>2</sub> shell, coated with Au speckles, represents the most suitable geometry to preserve the QD emission in the visible region and to generate NIR absorption from metal NPs. The resulting architectures present a biomedical potential as an effective optical multimodal probes and as promising therapeutic agents due to the Au NP mediated photothermal effect.</p>