Encapsulation of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots in Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(D,L-lactide) Micelle for Biomedical Imaging and Detection

摘要

Luminescent CdSe/ZnS QDs,with emission in the red region of the spectrum,were synthesized and encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L-lactide) diblock copolymer micelles,to prepare water-soluble,biocompatible QD micelles.PEG-PLA diblock copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of D,L-lactide,in the presence of methoxy PEG as a macroinitiator.QDs were encapsulated with PEG-PLA polymers using a solid dispersion method in chloroform.The resultant polymer micelles,with encapsulated QDs,were characterized using various analytical techniques,such as UV-Vis measurement,light scattering,fluorescence spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic forced microscopy (AFM).The polymer micelles,with encapsulated QDs,were spherical and showed diameters in the range of 20-150 nm.The encapsulated QDs were highly luminescent,and have high potential for applications in biomedical imaging and detection.