Stability of Ag2S quantum dots for integrated imaging and therapy

Silver sulphide quantum dots (Ag2S QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals with appealing optical properties that make them suitable for theranostics applications. For instance, Ag2S QDs might serve as the core of nanoplatforms for imaging, drug delivery and therapy. The bottleneck in the development of QD-based nanoplatforms is the lack of information about their stability in biological environments and their biocompatibility. This proposal aims at providing an insightful structural and chemical characterization of Ag2S QDs designed and synthesized in our laboratory. The influence of the coating on the stability in vitro, including in simulated biological media, will be assessed. This will allow us to identify QD formulations that are potentially of interest for the development of novel NIR emitting labels for biomedical applications.