Size effects in the quantum yield of Cd Te quantum dots for optimum fluorescence bioimaging

Full text: Semiconductor nano-crystals, usually referred as Quantum Dots (QDs) are nowadays regarded as one of the building-blocks in modern photonics. They constitute bright and photostable fluorescence sources whose emission and absorption properties can be adequately tailored through their size. Recent advances on the controlled modification of their surface has made possible the development of water soluble QDs, without causing any deterioration in their fluorescence properties. This has made them excellent optical selective markers to be used in fluorescence bio-imaging experiments. The suitability of colloidal QDs for bio-imaging is pushed forward by their large two-photon absorption cross section so that their visible luminescence (associated to the recombination of electro-hole pairs) can be also efficiently excited under infrared excitation (two-photon excitation). This, in turns, allows for large penetration depths in tissues, minimization of auto-fluorescence and achievement of superior spatial imaging resolution. In addition, recent works have demonstrated the ability of QDs to act as nano-thermometers based on the thermal sensitivity of their fluorescence bands. Based on all these outstanding properties, QDs have been successfully used to mark individual receptors in cell membranes, to intracellular temperature measurements and to label living embryos at different stages. Most of the QD based bio-images reported up to now were obtained by using whether CdSe or CdTe QDs since both are currently commercial available with a high degree of quality. They show similar fluorescence properties and optical performance when used in bio-imaging. Nevertheless, CdTe-QDs have very recently attracted much attention since the hyper-thermal sensitivity of their fluorescence bands was discovered. Based on this, it has been postulated that intracellular thermal sensing with resolutions as large as 0.25 deg C can be achieved based on CdTe-QDs, three times better than those achievable when using CdSe-QDs. In this work, the size dependence of the fluorescence quantum yield of CdTe Quantum dots has been systematically investigated by Thermal Lens Spectroscopy. It has been found that optimum quantum yield is reached for 3.7 nm quantum dots. The presence of this optimum size has been corroborated by fluorescence experiments. Combination of quantum yield and fluorescence decay time measurements have concluded that the appearance of this optimum size emerges from the interplay between the frequency dependent radiative emission rate and the size dependent coupling strength between bulk exciton and surface trapping states. Our results open a new avenue in the search for new fluorescent 'multifunctional nanoprobes' for high resolution fluorescence imaging at the nanoscale. (author)