Cu-In-S/ZnS:Gd quantum dots with isolated fluorescent and paramagnetic modules for dual-modality imaging in vivo.

Gd-doped quantum dots (QDs) have been widely used as small-sized bifunctional contrast agents for fluorescence/magnetic resonance (FL/MR) dual-modality imaging. However, Gd doping will always compromise the FL of host QDs. Therefore, balancing the Gd doping and the optical properties of QDs is crucial for constructing high-performance bifunctional nanoprobes.