Silver chalcogenide nanoparticles are biocompatible, low cost and straightforward to synthesize. They have quantum dot-like optical properties, which have been used in imaging and therapeutic applications. We have found these nanoparticles to have strong x-ray contrast production, especially for mammography. We have also innovated in their synthesis by developing an ambient conditions, room temperature method, using a microfluidic chip, which results in nanoparticles that have almost complete clearance within 24 hours. Last, encapsulation in a biodegradable polymer matrix results in remarkable enhancement of the optical properties of these nanoparticles, allowing markedly improved optical imaging and photothermal ablation of breast cancer.
|