Solution polymerization and amidation reaction were used to synthesize the multifunctional comb-type amphiphilic polymer

poly(stearyl methacrylatecomethylacrylic acid)(ethanolamine-ethanediamine-folic acid) (PSM-EE-FA).A study on structure and configurations was conducted through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H\|NMR).The molecular weight distribution was determined by gel\|permeation chromatograpy (GPC).It was found that the polymer was synthesized successfully

and that the number-average molar mass and the polydispersity index were 28600 and 1.375 respectively.Through the phase transfer process

the amphiphilic polymer was used to encapsulate hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) in chloroform to get watersoluble

targeting quantum dots (PSM-EE-FA-QDs).The watersoluble QDs solution was stable.The optical properties of PSM-QDs were determined by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and fluorescence emission spectrum.As shown in the results

the UV-Vis and fluorescence emission peaks were similar to those of the original hydrophobic QDs.However

because of the formation of the polymer layer on the surface of the QDs

the red-shifts of the peaks were observed.The resulting PSM-EE-FA-QDs retained 98% of the photoluminescence value of the original CdSe/ZnS QDs in chloroform.The quantum yield (QY) of the PSM-EE-FA-QDs was 95% of the original QDs.With the dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results

it was indicated that the water-soluble QDs were welldispersed within the polymer.In addition to good performance of PSM-EE-FA-QDs

the synthesis of the copolymer and the corresponding water-soluble QDs is relatively simple.