Cooperative antimicrobial activity of CdTe quantum dots with rocephin and fluorescence monitoring for Escherichia coli

► CdTe QDs are used to greatly enhance efficacy of rocephin for the first time. ► Rocephin with CdTe QDs can achieve cooperative antimicrobial effects to Escherichia coli. ► CdTe QDs are inventively adopted to monitor the concentration changes in E. coli synchronously.