Issue 12, 2013

Functionalized-chitosan/quantum dot nano-hybrids for nanomedicine applications: towards biolabeling and biosorbing phosphate metabolites

Abstract

The early diagnosis of diseases related to phosphate metabolism is very important for preventing, in most cases, severe kidney failure and cardiovascular events that have an increased risk of death. In this work, we present biofunctionalized quantum dots (b-QDs) prepared with chitosan and its chemically modified derivatives to detect and capture phosphate in water media. Chitosan (CHI), N,N,N-trimethylchitosan (TMC) and carboxymethylchitosan (CMC) were used as ligands for producing colloidal CdS nanocrystals in aqueous systems. UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential analysis (ZP), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the colloidal QDs. Additionally, in vitro assays based on the b-QDs were designed and used to evaluate phosphate ion adsorption. The results clearly indicated that chitosan and chitosan derivatives were effective in nucleating and stabilizing CdS QDs in aqueous colloidal suspensions with an average nanocrystal size ranging from 2.2 to 3.6 nm. The photoluminescent behavior of the CdS bioconjugates was highly dependent on the chemical functionality introduced in the chitosan-derivative polymer. Moreover, the presence of different chemical groups in chitosan significantly affected the capacity of the bioconjugates to bind phosphates. Finally, a “pseudo in vivo” assay was designed using an artificial biomembrane based on phospholipid bilayers to preliminarily assess the possibility of using the bioconjugates to biolabel cell membranes. Therefore, a new class of fluorescent biosorbent nano-hybrids was developed using chemically functionalized chitosan conjugated to quantum dots for potential applications in biochemical analysis and nanomedicine.

Graphical abstract: Functionalized-chitosan/quantum dot nano-hybrids for nanomedicine applications: towards biolabeling and biosorbing phosphate metabolites

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Dec 2012
Accepted
17 Jan 2013
First published
21 Jan 2013

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 1696-1711

Functionalized-chitosan/quantum dot nano-hybrids for nanomedicine applications: towards biolabeling and biosorbing phosphate metabolites

H. S. Mansur, A. A. P. Mansur, E. Curti and M. V. De Almeida, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013, 1, 1696 DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00498H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements