Cytotoxicity of InP/ZnS quantum dots related to reactive oxygen species generation.

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Nanoscale

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c1nr10131e· OSTI ID:1020697

Chibli, H; Carlini, L; Park, S; Dimitrijevic, N M; Nadeau, J L ^[1]

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1. Center for Nanoscale Materials

Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as a presumably less hazardous alternative to cadmium-based particles, but their cytotoxicity has not been well examined. Although their constituent elements are of very low toxicity to cells in culture, they nonetheless exhibit phototoxicity related to generation of reactive oxygen species by excited electrons and/or holes interacting with water and molecular oxygen. Using spin-trap electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and reporter assays, we find a considerable amount of superoxide and a small amount of hydroxyl radical formed under visible illumination of biocompatible InP QDs with a single ZnS shell, comparable to what is seen with CdTe. A double thickness shell reduces the reactive oxygen species concentration approximately two-fold. Survival assays in five cell lines correspondingly indicate a distinct reduction in toxicity with the double-shell InP QDs. Toxicity varies significantly across cell lines according to the efficiency of uptake, being overall significantly less than what is seen with CdTe or CdSe/ZnS. This indicates that InP QDs are a useful alternative to cadmium-containing QDs, while remaining capable of electron-transfer processes that may be undesirable or which may be exploited for photosensitization applications.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC; NSERC/CIHR; Collaborative Health Research Program; NSERC Individual Program
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1020697
• Report Number(s): ANL/CSE/JA-69956
• Journal Information: Nanoscale, Journal Name: Nanoscale Journal Issue: 6 ; 2011 Vol. 3; ISSN 2040-3364
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
ELECTRON TRANSFER
ELECTRONS
HYDROXYL RADICALS
ILLUMINANCE
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
OXYGEN
QUANTUM DOTS
SPECTROSCOPY
THICKNESS
TOXICITY
WATER