Analysis of quantum dots and their conjugates by capillary electrophoresis with detection of laser-induced luminescence

• Published in: Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Vol. 1199; p. 33
• Main Authors: Klepárník, Karel, Datinská, Vladimíra, Voráčová, Ivona, Lišková, Marcela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2014
• Subjects: Cadmium Compounds - chemistry; DNA - analysis; DNA - chemistry; Electrophoresis, Capillary - instrumentation; Electrophoresis, Capillary - methods; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; Immunoassay; Lasers; Luminescent Measurements - methods; Macrocyclic Compounds - chemistry; Quantum Dots - analysis; Quantum Dots - chemistry; Semiconductors; Tellurium - chemistry; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 1940-6029
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1280-3_3

In many bioanalytical applications, important molecules such as DNA, proteins, and antibodies are routinely conjugated with fluorescent tags to reach an extraordinary sensitivity of analyses. Semiconductor nanoparticles, quantum dots, have already proved to be suitable components of highly luminescent tags, probes, and sensors with a broad applicability in analytical chemistry. Quantum dots provide high extinction coefficients together with a wide range of excitation wavelengths, size- and composition-tunable emissions, narrow and symmetric emission spectra, good quantum yields, relatively long size-dependent luminescence lifetime, and practically no photobleaching. Most of these properties are superior when compared with conventional organic fluorescent dyes. In this chapter, optimized procedures for the preparation of water-dispersed cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots, conjugating reactions with antibodies, DNA, and macrocycles as well as their analyses by capillary electrophoresis are described. The potential of capillary electrophoresis for fast analyses of nanoparticles, their conjugates with antibodies, and immunocomplexes with targeted antigens is demonstrated on examples.