Recent Research Advances of Antibody-conjugated Quantum Dots

Abstract Quantum Dots (QDs) are water-soluble semiconductor particles on the nanometer scale. Due to their quantum confinement of charge carriers in tiny spaces, QDs show some unique and fascinating optical properties, and are characterized as sharp and symmetrical emission spectra, high quantum yields, broad absorption spectra, good chemical and photo-stability and size dependent emission wavelength tunability. QDs are emerging as a new class of fluorescent labels for biology andmedicine. A major problem in biological applications is how to couple biomolecules to ODs, and remain their activity as well. In recent years, studies in the preparation and application of QDs are reported extensively. However, few reviews have focused on the ODs bioconjugation. Herein, we introduced recent research progress of various coupling reactions which have been used for preparing antibody conjugated ODs, including noncovalent and covalent conjugation. The limitations and the future trend of the biological application of QDs were also discussed.