Novel Nanoparticles With Desired Optical Property For Bio-imaging And Solar Cell Applications

Quantum dots, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and gold nanorods are novel nanoparticles with excellent optical characteristics. This dissertation discussed their optical, chemical and biologic optical characteristics, and did some research in bio-imaging and solar cell applications with these nanoparticles.Quantum dots are promising fluorescence marker. And encapsulating quantum dots with mesoporous silica nanoparticles has many advantages: reducing the toxicity of quantum dots, enhancing the stability and biocompatibility of quantum dots, and transferring the hydrophobic quantum dots to hydrophilic. After encapsulated with mesoporous silica nanoparticles, the CdSe/ZnS quantum dots were used to mark the cancer cells and fluorescence microscope and laser confocal microscope were applied to get the transmission imaging and fluorescence imaging.Gold nanorods (GNRs) have unique optical characteristics. After coated with two kinds of polyelectrolyte PSS (poly (styrene sulfonate)) which is negatively charged and PAH (poly (allylamine hydrochloride)) which is positively charged, GNRs were uptaken by cancer cells through electrostatic interaction. Based on the scattering property of GNRs, GNRs were utilized as scattering contrast agents for dark field imaging of cancer cells. And the Raman signal of the cancer cells marked with GNRs was detected because that PSS is rich of Raman information and GNRs could enhance the Raman signals.GNRs were also used in solar cell based on the Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) effect and strong absorption property of GNRs, and the energy conversion efficiency of solar cell was increased.