A General Route to Efficient Functionalization of Silicon Quantum Dots for High-Performance Fluorescent Probes

A General Route to Efficient Functionalization of Silicon Quantum Dots for High-Performance Fluorescent Probes 
 
Jing Wang, Yuexian Liu, Fei Peng, Chunying Chen, Yonghong He, Hui Ma, Lixin Cao, and Shuqing Sun* 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.201102627/abstract 

In this paper, functionalization of hydrogen-terminated silicon quantum dots via hydrosilylation of alkenes is presented.  The reactions are microwave-assisted (not UV-driven), carried out in the neat ligand or ethanol (depending on the functional group on the opposite end of the olefin) and are complete within 15 min at a frequency of 2450 MHz (temperature not reported).  The resulting silicon QDs were dispersible in hexane or water (depending on terminal functionality), and the water-dispersible carboxylic acid-terminal ones were internalized in HeLa cells, with a cytoplasmic distribution.