Ultrasensitive non-isotopic water-soluble nanocrystals

3 Water-soluble semiconductor nanocrystal according to the claim 1,

• characterized in that the molecule of structural formula (R1)a—R2—{(R3)b(R4)c}d is such as:
• R1 is selected from the group consisting of heteroalkyl, heteroalkenyl, heteroalkynyl, —SR, —NER, —NR2, —N(O)HR, —N(O)R2, —PHR, —PR2, —P(NR2), —P(O)R2, —P(O)(NR2)NR2, —P(O)(OR)POR, —P(O)OR, —P(S)(OR)OR, —P(S)OR, —P(S)SE, —P(S)SR, —C(S)SE, —C(S)SR wherein R is Li, Na, K;
• Rb, CB, NH4, PH4,
• R2 is selected from a bond, branched or unbranched alkylene, a branched or unbranched alkenylene, a branched or unbranched heteroalkylene, a branched or unbranched heteroalkenylene, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkynyl, heterocyclic aryl and heteroaryl,
• R3 is selected from a branched or unbranched alkylene, a branched or unbranched alkenylene, a branched or unbranched heteroalkylene, a branched or unbranched heteroalkenylene, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkynyl, heterocyclic aryl and heteroaryl,
• R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a carboxylate, a thiocarboxylate, an amine, an amide, an imine, an hydrazine, a sulfonate, a sulfoxide, a phosphate, a phosphonate, a phosphonium, an alcohol, a thiol, an ammonium, an alkyl ammonium, a nitrate, a sugar moiety and a five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten-membered cycloalkyl, cycloakenyl, cycloalkynil, heterocyclic, aryl or heteroaryl,
• a being 1, 2, 3 or 4,
• b being 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• c being 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• d being 0, 1, 2 or 3.