Multifunctional Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles (CPNs) for Biological Applications

new imaging agents for biology, with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) notably emerging from typical solid-state applications (such as display devices and solar cells) to become commercially available cellular imaging agents.The cross-over from physics and materials chemistry to biology allowed medical scientists to access the positive optical attributes of inorganic semiconducting nanomaterials -notably the wide range of available wavelengths, from UV, through the visible spectrum to near IR.This tuneable bright emission, explained by quantum mechanical concepts such as the confinement of charge carriers in a potential-well, coupled with narrow optical emission profiles allowed new imaging agents with relatively long-term stability.Their broad absorption profiles also allowed multiplexing of, for example, multiple markers [1].This paradigm shift in medical imaging is not without limitations.QDs are typically based on cadmium and even the next-generation, cadmium-free QD materials have limitation based on their constituent elements and this potentially hampers their eventual clinical use.There have been many studies on the potential toxicity of quantum dots, and whilst reports have highlighted that the amount of cadmium used in such studies are well below typical exposure limits and that efficient shell technologies lock such elements inside the particle, questions regarding the use and disposal of such materials remain.[2]