Encapsulation of Quantum Dots Inside Liposomal Hybrid Cerasome Using a One-Pot Procedure

Abstract

A one-pot strategy for the fabrication of the quantum dots loaded cerasome has been successfully developed based on the condensation of dihexadecylamine and 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane, followed by spontaneous encapsulation and solubilization of hydrophobic quantum dots into the hybrid liposomal cerasomes in combination of self-assembly and sol-gel process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mass spectra prove the formation of the intermediate organoalkoxysilane with a lipid-like structure, which forms cerasome vesicles. After encapsulation into cerasome, quantum dots become well dispersed in aqueous solution. Such water-soluble QD cerasomes exhibit a better photostability and retain the luminescence property of the original hydrophobic quantum dots.

Keywords:

• Cerasome
• dihexadecylamine
• 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane
• liposome
• quantum dot

This research was financially supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2007AA03Z316), the Cultivation Fund of the Key Scientific and Technical Innovation Project, Ministry of Education of China (No. 707021), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-20977021, 30970829, 50573015).