One-pot green synthesis of protein-modified ternary quantum dots.

In order to improve the stability, biocompatibility, and emissions of aqueous I-III-VI ternary quantum dots (QDs we report for the first time the one-pot two-step green synthesis method with proteins serving as modifier. As a proof of concept, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lys) modified CuInS@ZnS ternary core-shell QDs were synthesized respectively. The results indicate that proteins have no influence on the morphology, composition, and lattice of quantum dots. However, they can significantly increase the fluorescence intensity of quantum dots (by 1.5 times) and the fluorescence lifetime (by 3.5 times). In addition, protein modification sharply enhanced the stability of quantum dots in various media. Moreover, for the first time, the binding interaction between proteins and quantum dots was directly verified using the fluorescence quenching technique. Thereafter, the bacterial target and antibacterial function imparted to QDs by lysozyme were demonstrated. Finally, we verified the application potential of CIS/ZnS@Lys in different medical scenarios, which performed well in wound disinfection, imaging bacterial adhesion in medical catheters, and killing the adhered bacteria.