Figure 1.

Schematic of QDot polymer encapsulation procedure. Bright monodisperse QDots are stabilized by organic surface ligands, which render nanoparticles hydrophobic. Incubation of such nanoparticles with a size-matched amphiphilic polymer drives the polymer self-assembly onto QDot surface via hydrophobic interaction of QDot surface ligands and polymer aliphatic side chains. Spontaneous reaction between maleic anhydride groups and di-amine compounds cross-links adjacent polymer chains together, yielding a stable coating. Finally, hydrolysis of the remaining anhydride groups in an aqueous buffer produces a highly negatively-charged hydrophilic shell around the nanoparticle optically active core, which is protected from the environment by a hydrophobic bilayer.