QDs	Quantum dots
NPs	Nanoparticles
PLQY	Photoluminescent quantum yield
LEDs	Light-emitting diode
CdS	Cadmium sulfide
CdSe/ZnS	Cadmium selenide zinc sulfide
CdTe/ZnS	Cadmium telluride zinc sulfide
InP/ZnS	Indium phosphide zinc sulfide
Cd2+	Cadmium ions
InP (III)	Indium ions
CQDs	Carbon quantum dots
CDs	Carbon dots
GQDs	Graphene quantum dots
ER	Endoplasmic reticulum
ROS	Reactive oxygen species
Ca2+	Cadmium ions
CdCl2	Cadmium chloride
-COOH	Carboxylic functional group
-NH2	Amino functional group
DPPC	Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine
DPPG	Dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol
WBCs	White blood cells
RBCs	Red blood cells
MPA	Mercaptopropionic acid
PVP	Polyvinylpyrrolidone
DOPC	Dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine
DOPG	Dioleoyl phosphatidylglycerol
PDDA	Poly-diallyl dimethylammonium
DPA	D-penicillamine
FTIR	Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
BSA	Bovine serum albumin
MSA	Mercaptosuccinic acid
GOD	Glucose oxidase
Hb	Hemoglobin
Cyt c	Cytochrome c
SK-Hep1	Human hepatic adenocarcinoma cells
HCC-15	Lung cancer cells
RLE-6TN	Alveolar type II epithelial cells
AML12	Alpha mouse liver 12 cells
PC12	Rat pheochromocyte cells
KB	Human epithelial carcinoma cells
MDA-231-MB	Human breast cancer cells
NIH3T3	Mouse fibroblasts cells
B16	Murine melanoma cells
L929	Mouse fibroblast cells
GST	Glutathione S-transferase
Asc1	Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase 1
Ldp1	Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase
Pdc5	Pyruvate decarboxylase isozyme 5
Ald4	Aldehyde dehydrogenase 4
LM	Lysine-linked mercaptoundecanoic acid
mPEG	Methoxy-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) amine
Adh2	Alcohol dehydrogenase 2
Amp	Amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid)