Size series of small indium arsenide-zinc selenide core-shell nanocrystals and their application to in vivo imaging.

We have developed a size series of unusually small, water-soluble (InAs)ZnSe (core)shell quantum dots (QDs) that emit in the near-infrared and exhibit new behavior in vivo, including multiple sequential lymph node mapping and extravasation from the vasculature. The biological utility of these fluorescent probes resulted from our intentional choice to match the semiconductor material and water-soluble ligand with a desired final hydrodynamic diameter and emission wavelength.