Calixarene-coated water-soluble CdSe–ZnS semiconductor quantum dots that are highly fluorescent and stable in aqueous solution

A simple method for the preparation of highly fluorescent and stable, water-soluble CdSe–ZnS quantum dots is reported using calix[4]arene carboxylic acids as surface coating agents; the coating of the surface with the calixarene and the conjugation of antibodies to the quantum dots are confirmed by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.