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Synthesis 2013; 45(17): 2426-2430
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1339340
paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Bis(phosphine)-Modified Peptide Ligand for Stable and Luminescent Quantum Dots in Aqueous Media

Michael E. Jung*
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California NanoSystems Institute, and Department of Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA   Fax: +1(310)2063722   Email: jung@chem.ucla.edu
,
Michael Trzoss
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California NanoSystems Institute, and Department of Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA   Fax: +1(310)2063722   Email: jung@chem.ucla.edu
,
James M. Tsay
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California NanoSystems Institute, and Department of Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA   Fax: +1(310)2063722   Email: jung@chem.ucla.edu
,
Shimon Weiss
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California NanoSystems Institute, and Department of Physiology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569, USA   Fax: +1(310)2063722   Email: jung@chem.ucla.edu
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Publication History

Received: 01 May 2013

Accepted after revision: 06 June 2013

Publication Date:
17 July 2013 (online)

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Abstract

We describe a new class of ligands for semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots = QDs), which bind well and allow for their facile dissolution in aqueous solution. As a proof of principle, we have designed and synthesized a novel bis(phosphine)-modified peptide (BPMP) and shown that it has the ability to solubilize quantum dots in aqueous media. We further showed that the corresponding phosphine oxide derivatives of these new ligands are less good at solubilizing the quantum dots. These new bis(phosphine)-modified peptide ligands are easy to prepare and may well replace thiol-containing binding sequences in functionalized peptides for quantum dot coating, potentially resulting in quantum dots with higher quantum yields.

Key words

bis(phosphine)-modified peptides - nanoparticles - quantum dots - quantum dot stabilization - ligands

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