Quantum Dots (QD’s) are nanoscale-sized semiconducting metals with advantageous florescent properties, including resistance to photobleaching, high quantum yield, high emission intensity, and finely tunable excitation and emission wavelengths. We found that when hydrophobic Mn-doped ZnSe/ZnS QDs were encapsulated into a lipid-based bicelle nanostructure, the fluorescence emission intensity increased ~200%+, when compared to the pre-encapsulation QD sample. The absorbance of Mn-doped ZnSe/ZnS QDs post-encapsulation showed 10-fold+ higher absorbance, compared to pre-encapsulation absorbance. When hydrophobic species of non-doped ZnSe/ZnS QDs were encapsulated within the same lipid-based bicelle nanostructure, the emission intensity closely matched pre-encapsulation emission intensities, with some post-encapsulated QDs showing a slight drop in emission intensity. A 10-fold+ higher absorbance was again observed, indicating that higher fluorescence emission was specific to select QD species. When Mn-doped ZnSe/ZnS QDs were packaged in a spherical lipid morphology, micelles, the optical properties did not appreciably change, and showed a similar emission and absorbance intensity as the pre-encapsulation QD sample. In order to further examine how lipid interactions with the QDs may affect the optical properties, a series of bicelles with captured Mn doped ZnSe/ZnS was prepared, with different ratios of lipids to QDs. Results show that emission intensity can be further increased, up to 300%+ emission intensity.

Mn doped ZnSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) species show increased fluorescence emission when encapsulated in a lipid bilayer bicelles

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.