It has been shown that colloidal nanocrystals made of semiconductor, metal and metal-oxide cores have a great potential for use in several biological applications. These materials are often grown in organic solutions; they are hydrophobic which limits their biocompatibility. Different surface functionalization strategies have been explored to render them hydrophilic. One effective route relies on cap exchange with coordinating ligands. We hereby report the design and optimization of a set of phosphonate-based polymers as versatile multi-coordinating ligands applicable to semiconductor, metal, and metal oxide nanocrystals. Ligand synthesis relies on the nucleophilic addition reaction between poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) and amine-modified phosphonates combined polyethylene glycol and reactive moieties. The synthetic route is effective and allows control over the ligand stoichiometry. Nanoparticles capped with such ligands are sterically stabilized in a broad range of biological conditions and furthermore reactive. Additionally, the polymer coating is amenable to the introduction of additional functionalities such as 19F labels. We will discuss the preparation of a set of multimodal platforms, with controlled solubility, and their use in few sensing as well as tissue and cell imaging applications.

Multi-coordinating polymer ligand for the functionalization of semiconductor, metal, and metal-oxide nanoparticles

2019 Spring National Meeting

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