Water-dispersible fluorescent nanodiamonds for biological imaging prepared by thiol-ene click chemistry

Abstract Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have attracted wide research interest due to their excellent optical properties and outstanding biocompatibility. Nevertheless, the complex preparation methods and high costs of FNDs still perplex their further biomedical applications. In this contribution, we developed an efficient one-step method for the preparation of water dispersible FNDs through a thiol-ene click reaction for the first time. Furthermore, a mass of carboxylic groups are introduced on the surface of FNDs, and this mass could lead to the dispersibility of FNDs in aqueous solutions. More importantly, the carboxylic groups on the surface of FNDs could further conjugate with various drug molecules and macromolecules. Therefore, the facile strategy for the preparation of FNDs with unique characteristics via the one-step thiol-ene reaction is expected to have high potential for various biomedical applications.