Non Toxic InP Quantum Dots for Luminescence Cellular Imaging and Sensing

获奖摘要CHE-1506995 Zeev Rosenzweig，用于发光细胞成像和传感的无毒InP量子点摘要发光半导体纳米颗粒是直径非常小的材料，大约比一根人类头发的直径小10,000倍。它们的小尺寸赋予了它们独特的光学特性。当被照射时，它们会发出强烈的可见光，其颜色取决于它们的大小，形状和成分，从而可以从单一半导体材料中产生可见发射颜色的彩虹。近年来，发光半导体纳米颗粒已在生物医学成像和感测应用中、在包括手机屏幕和平板电视的发光器件中以及在能量转换光伏器件中得到应用。 它们在广泛的经济部门中的分布引起了严重的健康和环境问题，因为这些纳米材料通常含有镉，这是一种剧毒物质。UMBC的Zeev Rosenzweig正在开发新的合成和表面改性方法，以制备新一代无镉，因此由磷化铟（InP）制成的无毒发光半导体纳米颗粒。Rosenzweig和他的学生还展示了InP纳米颗粒作为细胞成像剂的效用，以研究酶如何在活细胞中工作。 Rosenzweig博士通过与科学和工程研究和教育机会跨学科联盟（INCREASE）合作，积极招募代表性不足的少数民族进入STEM领域。 他还与退伍军人合作，为他们提供研究经验，并为他们的专业发展做出贡献。 技术摘要通过该奖项，化学系的大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目资助马里兰州巴尔的摩县大学（UMBC）化学和生物化学系的Zeev Rosenzweig教授开发InP/ZnS核-壳半导体纳米颗粒，作为目前用于细胞荧光成像的含镉量子点的替代品。 InP量子点虽然无毒，但目前与含镉量子点相比具有较差的物理性质和低的化学稳定性。这些研究的目的是控制InP（核）和InP/ZnS（核-壳）量子点形成的反应条件，使用荧光寿命光谱测量，修改InP/ZnS的表面，以增加其在复杂的生物溶液中的化学稳定性，并利用它们进行定量成像和传感研究的关键代谢酶，磷酸酶和蛋白激酶在活细胞中。 拟议的多学科研究影响了一些科学学科，包括化学，生物化学，材料化学，高分子化学和环境科学与工程。Rosenzweig博士积极参与与国家科学和工程研究和教育访问跨学科联盟（INCREASE）合作的学生招聘，该联盟专注于将代表性不足的群体带入STEM领域。在与学生退伍军人的UMBC办公室合作，他还担任UMBC学生退伍军人的导师，为他们在干的职业生涯做好准备，并为他们提供机会，从事这个纳米技术研究项目。

AWARD ABSTRACTS CHE-1506995Zeev Rosenzweig, Non Toxic InP Quantum Dots for Luminescence Cellular Imaging and SensingPUBLIC ABSTRACTLuminescent semiconductor nanoparticles are materials with an extremely small diameter, about 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair. Their small size gives them unique optical properties. When irradiated, they emit intense visible light in a color that depends on their size, shape and composition, making it possible to generate a rainbow of visible emission colors from a single semiconductor material. Luminescent semiconductor nanoparticles have found use in recent years in biomedical imaging and sensing applications, in light emitting devices including cell phone screens and flat screen TVs, and in energy converting photovoltaic devices. Their distribution across a wide range of economic sectors has raised serious health and environmental concerns since these nanomaterials often contain cadmium, a highly toxic substance. Zeev Rosenzweig, at UMBC is developing novel synthesis, and surface modification methods to prepare a new generation of cadmium-free, and therefore non-toxic luminescent semiconductor nanoparticles made of indium phosphide (InP). Rosenzweig and his students also demonstrate the utility of InP nanoparticles as cellular imaging agents to study how enzymes work in living cells. Dr. Rosenzweig is active in the recruitment of underrepresented minorities into STEM fields by partnering with the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Research and Educational Access in Science and Engineering (INCREASE). He also works with veterans to give them research experience and to contribute to their professional development. TECHNICAL ABSTRACTWith this award, the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Professor Zeev Rosenzweig, of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, to develop InP/ZnS core-shell semiconductor nanoparticles as an alternative to cadmium-containing quantum dots presently used for cellular fluorescence imaging. InP quantum dots, while non-toxic, currently have inferior photophysical properties and low chemical stability compared to cadmium-containing quantum dots. The objectives of these studies are to control the reaction conditions for InP (core) and InP/ZnS (core-shell) quantum dots formation using fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy measurements, to modify the surface of InP/ZnS in order to increase their chemical stability in the complex biological solutions, and to utilize them for quantitative imaging and sensing studies of key metabolic enzymes, phosphatases and protein kinases in living cells. The proposed multidisciplinary study impacts a number of scientific disciplines including chemistry, biochemistry, materials chemistry, polymer chemistry and environmental science and engineering. Dr. Rosenzweig is actively involved in student recruitment in collaboration with the national Interdisciplinary Consortium for Research and Educational Access in Science and Engineering (INCREASE) which focuses on bringing underrepresented groups into the STEM fields. In partnership with the UMBC Office of Student Veterans, he also serves as a mentor to UMBC student veterans to prepare them for professional careers in STEM and provide them with the opportunity to engage in this nanotechnology research project.