Synthesis of Carbohydrate-Functionalized Quantum Dots in Microreactors

摘要

Large quantities of monodisperse semiconductor nanocrys-tals, quantum dots (QDs), are needed for applications in electronics and the life sciences. For biological applications, the surface of QDs is often functionalized with carboxylic acids for the attachment of proteins or directly with carbohydrates. Traditional batch processes are of limited utility for the production of QDs on a larger scale owing to limited temperature control and lack of homogeneous mixing. Continuous-flow microreactors provide precise control over reaction conditions, including temperature, and the production time is independent of the process scale. The high surface-to-volume ratio of the microreactor channels enables precise temperature control as well as efficient mixing, allowing for the preparation of QDs with narrow size distribution. QDs have been prepared using microfabricated gas-liquid and liquid-liquid flow reactors. The preparation of surface-functionalized QDs under mild reaction conditions in the liquid phase remains challenging. Ideally, a continuous process would serve to both produce the quantum dots and to functionalize them.