Ultra-bright near-infrared-IIb emitting Zn-doped Ag 2 Te quantum dots for noninvasive monitoring of traumatic brain injury

The long-wavelength region of the near-infrared-IIb (NIR-IIb, 1,500–1,700 nm) imaging window has become an ideal window for in vivo imaging due to the suppressed photon scattering and near-zero autofluorescence of biological tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to develop fluorescent probes with excellent fluorescence performance and stability for NIR-IIb fluorescence imaging. In this work, zinc-doped silver telluride quantum dots (Zn:Ag 2 Te QDs) with bright fluorescence in the NIR-IIb window were synthesized. The introduction of Zn dopants inhibited crystal defects and reduced non-radiative transitions. Therefore, the quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime of Zn:Ag 2 Te QDs were significantly improved. In addition, Zn-doping increased the number of ligands on the surface of QDs, thus enhancing the colloidal stability of Zn:Ag 2 Te QDs. Moreover, the PEGylated Zn:Ag 2 Te QDs with high absolute quantum yield realized noninvasive imaging of cerebral vascular of mouse with high resolution able to distinguish blood capillary, which could be utilized to monitor the brain condition of mice after traumatic brain injury.