Broad spectrum photoluminescent quaternary quantum dots for cell and animal imaging

Highly luminescent oil-soluble quaternary Zn–Ag–In–Se (ZAISe) quantum dots (QDs) with extremely wide emission covering the spectral range from 550 to 1000 nm have been synthesized for the first time. These broadly emissive quaternary QDs are demonstrated to have greater potential in the use of one probe for multi-spatial scale biomedical imaging than binary CdTe and ternary Cu–In–S QDs.