Superparamagnetic Maghemite-Based CdTe Quantum Dots as Efficient Hybrid Nanoprobes for Water-Bath Magnetic Particle Inspection

Fluorescent water-based cadmium telluride quantum dots (QDs) and citrate-functionalized maghemite nanoparticles (MghNPs) were synthesized and assembled together (MghNPs@QDs) through electrostatic interactions by using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a linker and steric spacer to minimize the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) restriction. A whole family of hybrid and multifunctional nanoparticles has been successfully obtained, exhibiting good performance in nondestructive water-bath magnetic particle inspection (MPI) assays.