High-Yield Production of Water-Soluble MoS₂ Quantum Dots for Fe³⁺ Detection and Cell Imaging

• Main Authors: Benhua Xu, Zhiqi Zhang, Peng Zhang, Li Wang, Rui Yuan, Zhenghua Ju, Weisheng Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Nanomaterials
• Subjects: water-soluble MoS₂ quantum dots; fluorescent probe; Fe³⁺ ion sensor; living cells
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2155
• ISSN: 2079-4991

Uniform water-soluble MoS₂ quantum dots (WS-MSQDs) were synthesized via a sequential combination of sintering/etching/exfoliation method and solvothermal route. The obtained WS-MSQDs with average size of approximately 3.4 nm exhibited sufficient water solubility and remarkable fluorescence properties. The WS-MSQDs were utilized as a probe for detection of Fe³⁺ ions with high selectivity and specificity. Furthermore, the WS-MSQDs exhibited high fluorescence stability under different conditions. Finally, the WS-MSQDs were successfully applied for the fluorescence imaging of Fe³⁺ in living cells, which exhibited practical potential for biomedical applications.