Synthesis of highly luminescent colloidal particles
The present invention includes compositions and methods for their used wherein the compositions include clusters of coated fluorescent nanocrystals having a select size formed by controlled aggregation of individual coated nanocrystals.
1. A method of preparing a nanocrystal aggregate, comprising:
contacting two or more nanocrystals in a solvent, the nanocrystals comprising a coating layer comprising at least one imidazole group;
contacting the nanocrystals to prepare an aggregate of coated nanocrystals;
controlling the aggregate size by modifying the solvent; and
cross-linking the aggregate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystals interact through their coating layers.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contacting step further comprises placing the two or more nanocrystals in a solvent mixture.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising adjusting the concentration of solvents in the solvent mixture.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the size of the aggregate is about 50-80 nm.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate comprises about 2 to about 20 coated nanocrystals.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer comprises a compound selected from histidine, carnosine, glycyl histidine, polyhistidine, polyimidazole, 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole and 4-imidazoleacrylic acid.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer comprises a compound selected from thiazole, oxazole, pyrrole, thiophene, furan, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, triazole, thiophene, phthalocyanine, porphyrin and derivatives thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two or more nanocrystals are semiconductor nanocrystals.
10. A method of preparing a nanocrystal aggregate, comprising:
contacting two or more nanocrystals in a solvent, the nanocrystals comprising a coating layer comprising at least one imidazole group;
contacting the nanocrystals to prepare an aggregate of coated nanocrystals;
controlling the aggregate size by modifying the solvent; and
cross-linking the aggregate, wherein the contacting step further comprises placing the two or more nanocrystals in an aqueous solvent mixture, wherein the aqueous solvent mixture further comprises ethanol.