Bacterial detection using carbohydrate-functionalised CdS quantum dots: a model study exploiting E. coli recognition of mannosides

Abstract Mannose-coated CdS quantum dots (Man-QDs) were prepared in a facile aqueous, one-pot process that exploits the self-assembly of thiolated mannose in the presence of CdS under reducing conditions. The resulting ∼15 nm diameter nanoparticles produce an intense, broad luminescence emission centred at 550 nm. These Man-QDs induce luminescent aggregates of Escherichia coli which can be used to detect bacteria in cell suspensions containing as few as 10 4 E. coli per mL. The aggregation process is dependent on the E. coli cell surface FimH mannose-specific lectin. The recognition and subsequent detection of the E. coli using the Man-QD has been shown to be specific as aggregation does not occur either with an E. coli strain defective in the FimH lectin or with galactose-coated QDs.