Quantum dots-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hybrid nanogel diazeniumdiolates as donors and real-time probes of nitric oxide

For most existing nitric oxide (NO) donors, real-time detection of NO release is extremely difficult to achieve unless independent NO detectors are introduced. In this work, a new quantum dots (QDs)–poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hybrid nanogel diazeniumdiolates system is reported. The CdTe QDs–PNIPAM nanogel diazeniumdiolates were synthesized by first polymerizing NIPAM monomers in the presence of CdTe QDs and then reacting the resultant nanogels with NO under pressure. The nanogel diazeniumdiolates are nanospheres with QDs encapsulated by PNIPAM, whose dimension lies in the range of 40–500 nm. They possess good fluorescence stability in a PBS solution. This system is capable of releasing NO and meanwhile detecting the NO release under conditions similar to physiological environment based on the fluorescence quenching by the released NO.