Biosynthesis of silver sulfide quantum dots in wheat endosperm cells

• Near-infrared Ag2S QDs have been synthesized in cultured wheat endosperm cells.
• The intracellular GSH serves as capping ligands for the bio-synthesized Ag2S QDs.
• The biosynthesized Ag2S QDs have good optical properties and photostability.

Biosynthesis of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent silver sulfide quantum dots (Ag2S QDs) in wheat endosperm cells is reported in this paper. By delivering QD precursors into cultured wheat endosperm cells, Ag2S QDs were successfully synthesized in an aging process under the effect of endogenous glutathione in the cells. The structure and optical properties of the biocompatible Ag2S QDs were characterized. These intracellularly synthesized NIR QDs exhibited a quantum yield qualified for bio-imaging and were highly photostable.