Facile Synthesis of Highly Photoluminescent Ag₂Se Quantum Dots as a New Fluorescent Probe in the Second Near-Infrared Window for in Vivo Imaging

Abstract

A facile solvothermal method is reported to synthesize highly photoluminescent Ag2Se quantum dots (QDs) with emission at 1300 nm in the second near-infrared window. After surface modification of C18-PMH-PEG, the Ag2Se QDs possess bright photoluminescence, good water-solubility, high colloidal stability and photostability, as well as decent biocompatibility, which are further successfully performed in in vivo deep imaging of organs and vascular structures with high spatial resolution. This new NIR-II fluorescent nanoprobe with small sizes, ideal optical properties, and decent biocompatibility opens up exciting opportunities for future biomedical applications.