This work summarizes results of about 10 years of the author’s own activities in the field of aqueous synthesis and handling of thiol-capped semiconductor nanocrystals. As this field has also been explored by hundreds of other scientists, I have endeavoured to do my utmost to provide a short but comprehensive overview presenting my own results as part of the knowledge framework jointly created by multiple colleagues and collaborators from all over the world. This habilitation thesis consists of an introduction, which provides references to the corresponding literature sources and also links to the corresponding annexes, i.e. original published articles, which are attached to this cumulative script.