Review of the application of quantum dots in the heavy-metal detection

Heavy-metal contamination is a major concern, as excessive heavy metals produce environmental pollution, and the cumulative effects of heavy metals in vivo pose a major threat to human health. There is an urgent need for a rapid, sensitive, and efficient method for detecting heavy metals. Quantum dots (QDs) are in the category of semiconductor nanocrystals whose radii are less than or close to the exciton Bohr radius. QDs possess a potential in the biological and medical fields to function as a new type of fluorescent marker, because of their unique and tunable photophysical properties, which include broad excitation spectrum, narrow emission spectrum, tunable emission wavelengths, and negligible photobleaching. In recent years, QDs made significant progress in quantitative analysis by providing a new approach for determination of chemical content analysis. The aim of this study was to review the research progress of QD detection of heavy metals in water and consider the challenges and future outlook for QD-based sensors for heavy-metal ions.