Aqueous synthesis of multidentate-polymer-capping Ag2Se quantum dots with bright photoluminescence tunable in a second near-infrared biological window.

A new strategy for fabricating water-dispersible Ag2Se quantum dots (QDs) is presented. A multidentate polymer (MDP) was synthesized and used as a capping agent for Ag2Se QDs. The MDP-capping Ag2Se QDs were synthesized in aqueous solution at room temperature, which are highly photoluminescent in a second near-infrared (NIR-II) biological window and possess good photostability. These readily prepared NIR-II fluorescent nanoprobes have great potential for biomedical applications, especially useful for in vivo imaging.