Abstract— The data of surface functionalization using bovine serum albumin of Ag2S semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) obtained by th
Abstract— The data of surface functionalization using bovine serum albumin of Ag2S semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) obtained by the “green” synthesis method are presented. It was found that the luminescence maximum of Ag2S quantum dots shifts to the short-wavelength range (peaks within 270–350 nm) as a result of functionalization. The study of the morphology and size of the functionalized Ag2S quantum dots revealed a uniform surface without structural defects and a spherical morphology. The diameter of the functionalized quantum dots was approximately 20 nm, while the diameter of the nonfunctionalized ones was up to 10 nm. Conjugates of the functionalized Ag2S quantum dots with monoclonal antibodies were obtained (in particular, the TU-01 antibodies against α-tubulin, the main protein of microtubules). Spectrophotometric analysis showed that the luminescence spectrum of the obtained Ag2S–TU-01 bioconjugates had several maxima depending on the excitation. The maxima corresponded to the wavelength range of 410–470 nm. It was demonstrated that the obtained Ag2S–TU-01 conjugates can be used for visualization and study of microtubule organization, particularly in plant cells. Thus, for the first time, bioconjugates with monoclonal antibodies have been created using Ag2S quantum dots obtained via a green synthesis method, which significantly reduces the toxicity of such nanoparticles, allowing them to be considered effective luminescent probes in cell biological studies.
