The synthesis and optical properties of Cu–In–S/ZnS nanocrystals in buffer solution for near-infrared fluorescence imaging

In this report, we present a novel one-pot synthesis of Cu–In–S/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in buffer solution as a facile route to biocompatible nanoscale imaging probes, with emission wavelengths as far as 675 nm in the biologically important near-infrared spectral region and quantum yields of up to 16%. Whilst a simple route, our method produced particles that displayed exceptionally high cell viability with facile applications in in vivo imaging, highlighting the potential of these QDs as advanced imaging probes.