Biocompatible Ni-doped CdSe/ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals for cellular imaging and sorting

Quantum dots (QD) with chemical composition $$ were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method and chemical precipitation. The nanocrystalline phase of the nanostructures was isolated and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mean crystalline size doped core/shell Ni-dopant range was 9.0 ± 2.0 nm. The ferromagnetic data revealed the magnetic behaviour of $$ . The optical absorption measurements of these QDs were in the UV-visible light range 200-800 nm for a band gap value of 2.11 eV for $$ . This means that pure $$ and $$ underwent a redshift when compared with bulk CdSe. For $$ there was successful uptake by cell lines including HeLa and MCF-7 for bioimaging and sorting applications.