Biofunctionalized semiconductor quantum dots for virus detection

Abstract Virus is a kind of microorganism and possesses simple structure and contains one nucleic acid, which must be replicated using the host cell system. It causes large-scale infectious diseases and poses serious threats to the health, social well-being, and economic conditions of millions of people worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel strategies for accurate diagnosis of virus infection to prevent disease transmission. Quantum dots (QDs) are typical fluorescence nanomaterials with high quantum yield, broad absorbance range, narrow and size-dependent emission, and good stability. QDs-based nanotechnology has been found to be effective method with rapid response, easy operation, high sensitivity, and good specificity, and has been widely applied for the detection of different viruses. However, until now, no systematic and critical review has been published on this important research area. Hence, in this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive coverage of various QDs-based virus detection methods. The fundamental investigations have been reviewed, including information related to the synthesis and biofunctionalization of QDs, QDs-based viral nucleic acid detection strategies, and QDs-based immunoassays. The challenges and perspectives regarding the potential application of QDs for virus detection is also discussed.