Scientists have succeeded in creating stable, luminous quantum dots based on cadmium, zinc, selenium and sulfur, which glow under ultraviolet radiation and retain their structure in water for a long time. These nanoparticles can be used to detect antibodies and toxins in the blood, which could help diagnose various diseases, including heart failure and inflammation.
Quantum dots are semiconductor crystals measuring up to 10 nanometers, thousands of times smaller than bacteria. They can glow under the influence of electric current or ultraviolet radiation, and the color of the glow depends on the composition and size of the crystal. These properties make them useful for medical purposes, such as detecting various substances in the body, including proteins and toxins.
A significant achievement was the stability of quantum dots in an aqueous environment. Scientists from Saratov State University developed a method that allows the crystals to retain their luminescence by coating them with a thiol shell. This development not only preserves the luminous properties of quantum dots in water, but also increases their density, which makes it possible to use more sensitive and cheaper diagnostic and biolabeling methods in medicine.
Source: Ferra
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