Analysis of lipid-assisted self-assembly of hydrophobic CuInS 2 /ZnS quantum dots into water-stable nanoclusters that perform intra-cluster energy transfer

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanocrystalline semiconductors that have the ability to perform efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to biomolecules and other nanoparticles. Aqueous environments are required for applications related to biological systems, and common hydrophobic QDs will tend to cluster under these conditions. Whilst large (microscale) aggregates of QDs are undesirable, small (nanoscale) clusters could have applications as the active component in bio-imaging, bio-sensors or bio-photovoltaics. In this study, we developed a new procedure to utilize lipids to control the assembly of 'nanoclusters' of copper indium sulfide/zinc sulfide (CuInS₂/ZnS) core/shell QDs. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed that the QDs had a particle size of ∼3.3 nm when they were in organic solvents and formed clusters of ∼40 nm when the nanoparticles were exchanged into aqueous solution in the presence of lipids. Particle sizing by nanoparticle tracking analysis suggested that the overall hydrodynamic size was 100-200 nm, which is consistent with an electron-dense core of clustered QDs surrounded by looser lipid assemblies or higher-order structures. The lipid was found to be essential for stabilizing the cluster, with fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy confirming that the lipids and QDs were colocalized (using fluorescently-tagged lipids). Ensemble spectroscopy measurements revealed that there was a consistent red-shift of the emission peak, and a reduction in the excited state lifetime, for QD nanoclusters suspended in an aqueous buffer as compared to isolated QDs dissolved in organic solvents. The combined data provides strong evidence that downhill energy transfer occurs within one cluster from small, high-bandgap QDs to larger, low-bandgap QDs. Our findings contribute to a new understanding of how QD-QD and QD-lipid interactions influence their photophysical properties. Our work provides a new protocol based on a physical self-assembly that is modular and adaptable: alternative lipids or QDs and different buffer conditions (salt, pH) could be used. Future work could incorporate membrane proteins in the development of QD-biohybrid systems towards new applications in bio-nanotechnology.