Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Peter Matthew Allen

Moungi G Bawendi

Wenhao Liu

Daniel G Nocera

Andrew B Greytak

Numpon Insin

A semiconductor nanocrystal include a first I-III-VI semiconductor material and have a luminescence quantum yield of at least 10%, at least 20%, or at least 30%. The nanocrystal can be substantially free of toxic elements. Populations of the nanocrystals can have an emission FWHM of no greater than 0.35 eV.

Semiconductor nanocrystals

A semiconductor nanocrystal can have a photoluminescent quantum yield of at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 98%. The nanocrystal can be made by sequentially contacting a nanocrystal core with an M-containing compound and an X donor, where at least one of the M-containing compound and the X donor is substoichiometric with respect to forming a monolayer on the nanocrystal core.

Highly luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals

Water soluble InAs(ZnCdS) semiconductor nanocrystals with bright and stable emission in the near infrared (NIR) wavelength range have been prepared. The NIR semiconductor nanocrystals can be functionalized to enable imaging of specific cellular proteins. In addition, the utility of the NIR region for in vivo biological imaging is clearly demonstrated by the superior ability of InAs(ZnCdS) semiconductor nanocrystals to image tumor vasculature.

Materials and methods for biological imaging

A nanomaterial can include an outer layer including a ligand. The ligand can include a first monomer unit including a first moiety having affinity for a surface of the nanocrystal, a second monomer unit including a second moiety having a high water solubility, and a third monomer unit including a third moiety having a selectively reactive functional group or a selectively binding functional group. The ligand can be a random copolymer.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Peter Matthew Allen