Graphene oxide based fluorescent nanocomposites for cellular imaging

Carbon based 2-D material graphene oxide (GO) is a promising platform for preparing composites for biomedical applications because of its superior water solubility and low toxicity. Herein, we reported a convenient route to prepare fluorescent nanocomposites incorporating water-soluble GO sheets and Zn doped AgInS₂ nanoparticles. According to the study, the photoluminescence of the Zn doped AgInS₂ nanoparticles was well maintained after the hybridization using GO. No obvious emission shift was observed and the PL intensity was stable for over three months with negligible quenching. The PEGylated AIZS-GO nanocomposites could be readily up-taken by NIH/3T3 cells (mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line) while no distinct cytotoxicity was observed. The subsequent in vitro cellular imaging of NIH/3T3 cells proved that the as-prepared AIZS-GO-PEG nanocomposites were potential fluorescent probes for biomedical targeting and imaging.