The Application of Ternary Quantum Dots in Tumor‐Related Marker Detection, Imaging, and Therapy

In recent years, colloid inorganic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have attracted wide attention in various fields, benefiting from numerous unique photoluminescence characteristics and excellent optical properties, especially in the domain of biomedicine. Traditional QD materials contain toxic metal elements, making it imperative to focus on surface modification or synthesis of nontoxic metal quantum dot materials. As a promising semiconductor material, ternary QDs possess the advantages of narrow bandgap and negligible toxic heavy metal elements. Ternary I–III–VI QDs (where I = Cu, Ag; III = Ga, In; VI = S, Se, etc.) and their alloy variants have recently emerged as a new class of QD material. These materials not only preserve the merits of traditional QDs but also possess unique advantages such as tunable luminescence and higher quantum yields. Near-infrared QDs, in particular, exhibit minimal tissue scattering and spontaneous fluorescence, making them more suitable for deep-tissue imaging. Research indicates that ternary QDs can serve not only in biological imaging but also in photodynamic and sonodynamic therapy investigations. These materials are expected to provide a new platform for the development of specific targeted drugs for tumor therapy. In this chapter, we mainly concentrate on a series of platforms based on ternary QD materials for biomarker detection, tumor imaging, and tumor therapy research. Our aim is to expand the utilization of nontoxic ternary QD materials in biomedical applications.