Stability of core/shell quantum dots—role of pH and small organic ligands

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 20; no. 7; pp. 4872 - 4880
• Main Authors: Domingos, Rute F., Franco, Cristiana, Pinheiro, José P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2013; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analytical chemistry; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; Chemical Phenomena; Chemical Sciences; Citric acid; Citric Acid - analysis; Citric Acid - chemistry; Cytotoxicity; Dissolution; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecotoxicology; Electrodes; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Sciences; Equilibrium; Experiments; Geochemistry; Global Changes; Glycine - analysis; Glycine - chemistry; Histidine; Histidine - analysis; Histidine - chemistry; Human exposure; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Imidazole; Ligands; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Nanocrystals; or physical chemistry; pH effects; Pollution studies; Polyacrylate; Quantum Dots; Research Article; Sciences of the Universe; Shells; Solubility; Solutions - chemistry; Theoretical and; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Portugal; Organic ligands; Stability; Bioavailability; Quantum dots; Dissolution; Speciation
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-012-1457-0

The improvement of knowledge about the toxicity and even processability, and stability of quantum dots (QD) requires the understanding of the relationship between the QD binding head group, surface structure, and interligand interaction. The scanned stripping chronopotentiometry and absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping techniques were used to determine the concentration of Cd dissolved from a polyacrylate-stabilized CdTe/CdS QD. The effects of various concentrations of small organic ligands such as citric acid, glycine, and histidine and the roles of pH (4.5–8.5) and exposure time (0–48 h) were evaluated. The highest QD dissolution was obtained at the more acidic pH in absence of the ligands (52 %) a result of the CdS shell solubility. At pH 8.5 the largest PAA ability to complex the dissolved Cd leads to a further QD solubility until the equilibrium is reached (24 % of dissolved Cd vs. 4 % at pH 6.0). The citric acid presence resulted in greater QD dissolution, whereas glycine, an amino acid, acts against QD dissolution. Surprisingly, the presence of histidine, an amino acid with an imidazole functional group, leads to the formation of much strong Cd complexes over time, which may be non-labile, inducing variations in the local environment of the QD surface.