TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, M. A1 - Zhang, T. A1 - Wang, J. A1 - Cheng, Z. A1 - Liu, Y. A1 - Qiao, X. A1 - Wen, J. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Long, W. A1 - Ou, J. T1 - NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaYF4:Yb3+ Upconversion Nanoparticles for Optical Temperature Monitoring and Self-Heating in Photothermal Therapy N2 - The core−shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaYF4:Yb3+ upconversion nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a solvothermal method, and a layer of mesoporous silica (mSiO2) was successfully coated on the periphery of the core−shell nanoparticles to transform their surface from lipophilic to hydrophilic, further expanding their applications in biological tissues. The physical phase, morphology, structure, and fluorescence properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ζ potential analysis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the material has a hexagonal structure with good hydrophilicity and emits intense fluorescence under 980 nm pump laser excitation. The non-contact temperature sensing performance of nanoparticles was evaluated by analyzing the upconversion fluorescence of Tm3+ (1G4 → 3F4 and 3F3 → 3H6) in the temperature range of 284−344 K. The absolute and relative sensitivities were found to be 0.0067 K−1 and 1.08 % K−1, respectively, with high-temperature measurement reliability and good temperature cycling performance. More importantly, its temperature measurement in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution is accurate. In addition, the temperature of the cells can be increased by adjusting the laser power density and laser irradiation time. Therefore, an optical temperature sensing platform was built to realize the application of real-time monitoring of cancer cell temperature and the dual function of photothermal therapy. KW - Sensor KW - Temperature KW - Lanthanide KW - Tag KW - Fluorescence KW - Nanoparticles KW - Synthesis KW - Environment KW - Monitoring KW - Sensing KW - Nano KW - Life sciences KW - Upconversion PY - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.2c05110 VL - 6 IS - 1 SP - 759 EP - 771 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-57081 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kislenko, Evgeniia A1 - Incel, A. A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Sellergren, B. A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Towards molecularly imprinted polymers that respond to and capture phosphorylated tyrosine epitopes using fluorescent bis-urea and bis-imidazolium receptors N2 - Early detection of cancer is essential for successful treatment and improvement in patient prognosis. Deregulation of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, especially phosphorylation, is present in many types of cancer. Therefore, the development of materials for the rapid sensing of low abundant phosphorylated peptides in biological samples can be of great therapeutic value. In this work, we have synthesised fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymers (fMIPs) for the detection of the phosphorylated tyrosine epitope of ZAP70, a cancer biomarker. The polymers were grafted as nanometer-thin shells from functionalised submicron-sized silica particles using a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. Employing the combination of fluorescent urea and intrinsically cationic bis-imidazolium receptor cross-linkers, we have developed fluorescent sensory particles, showing an imprinting factor (IF) of 5.0. The imprinted polymer can successfully distinguish between phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated tripeptides, reaching lower micromolar sensitivity in organic solvents and specifically capture unprotected peptide complements in a neutral buffer. Additionally, we have shown the importance of assessing the influence of counterions present in the MIP system on the imprinting process and final material performance. The potential drawbacks of using epitopes with protective groups, which can co-imprint with targeted functionality, are also discussed. KW - Functional monomers KW - Molecularly imprinted polymers KW - Phosphorylated peptides KW - Fluorescence KW - Core-shell particles PY - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-588089 SN - 2050-750X SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-58808 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Biyikal, Mustafa T1 - Development of a Lab-on-a-Chip for the Detection of Nerve Agents with a Handheld Device N2 - The development of a Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) is presented, which can detect reactive phosphorous compounds in the gas phase in combination with an optochemical hand-held sensor. The LoC prototype contains three pairs of sensing materials containing fluorescent indicator dyes in various carrier materials. By measuring the fluorescence response to phosphoryl chloride, a surrogate compound, the detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) in gas phase becomes possible within seconds, introducing a novel approach to CWA detection. T2 - IEEE Sensors Conference CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 29.10.2023 KW - Chemical warfare agents KW - Lab-on-a-chip KW - Handheld sensors KW - Toxic industrial chemicals KW - Fluorescence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58815 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mansurova, Maria A1 - Gotor, Raúl A1 - Johann, Sergej A1 - Neumann, Patrick P. A1 - Bartholmai, Matthias A1 - Rurack, Knut A1 - Bell, Jérémy T1 - Fluorescent Hydrophobic Test Strips with Sterically Integrated Molecular Rotors for the Detection of Hydrocarbons in Water and Soil with an Embedded Optical Read-Out N2 - Contamination of natural bodies of water or soil with oils and lubricants (or generally, hydrocarbon derivatives such as petrol, fuels, and others) is a commonly found phenomenon around the world due to the extensive production, transfer, and use of fossil fuels. In this work, we develop a simple system for the on-field detection of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water and soil. The test is based on the measurement of the fluorescence signal emitted by the molecular rotor 2-[ethyl[4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethenyl]phenyl]amino]ethanol (4-DNS-OH). This dye is embedded in a hydrophobic polymeric matrix (polyvinylidene fluoride), avoiding interactions with water and providing a robust support for use in a test strip fashion. Together with the strips, an embedded optical system was designed for fluorescence signal read-out, featuring a Bluetooth low-energy connection to a commercial tablet device for data processing and analysis. This system works for the detection and quantification of TPHs in water and soil through a simple extraction protocol using a cycloalkane solvent with a limit of detection of 6 ppm. Assays in surface and sea waters were conclusive, proving the feasibility of the method for in-the-field operation. KW - Test strip KW - Sensor KW - Smartphone KW - Fluorescence KW - Test Streifen KW - Sensoren KW - Fluoreszenz KW - Petrol KW - Öl PY - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.3c01175 SN - 0887-0624 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, United States AN - OPUS4-57892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Fürstenwerth, Paul A1 - Eitinger, Lina A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - pH- and O2-Responsive Nanoparticles – The MiGraGen Project N2 - In recent years, the demand for reliable, versatile, fluorescent pH and oxygen sensors has increased rapidly in many biomedical applications since these analytes are important indicators of cell function or certain diseases. Therefore, sensor particles are needed that are small enough to penetrate cells, non-toxic, and allow for close-up optical monitoring. When developing such sensor systems, one must consider the pH and oxygen range detectable by the sensor dye and the matrix material of the used carrier particles. Here, we present the development of pH- and oxygen-responsive polymeric beads functionalized with fluorescent dyad molecules that consist of an analyte-responsive fluorophore and an analyte-inert dye. T2 - MiGraGen Project Meeting 09.08.2023 CY - Online Meeting DA - 09.08.2023 KW - Nano- and microsensors KW - Functionalized silica and polymeric particles KW - pH sensing KW - Oxygen sensing KW - Fluorescence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58071 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Solomun, Tihomir A1 - Cordsmeier, Leo A1 - Hallier, Dorothea C. A1 - Seitz, Harald A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin T1 - Interaction of a Dimeric Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein (G5P) with DNA Hairpins. A Molecular Beacon Study N2 - Gene-V protein (G5P/GVP) is a single-stranded (ss)DNA-binding protein (SBP) of bacteriophage f1 that is required for DNA synthesis and repair. In solution, it exists as a dimer that binds two antiparallel ssDNA strands with high affinity in a cooperative manner, forming a left-handed helical protein–DNA filament. Here, we report on fluorescence studies of the interaction of G5P with different DNA oligonucleotides having a hairpin structure (molecular beacon, MB) with a seven base-pair stem (dT24-stem7, dT18-stem7), as well as with DNA oligonucleotides (dT38, dT24) without a defined secondary structure. All oligonucleotides were end-labeled with a Cy3-fluorophore and a BHQ2-quencher. In the case of DNA oligonucleotides without a secondary structure, an almost complete quenching of their strong fluorescence (with about 5% residual intensity) was observed upon the binding of G5P. This implies an exact alignment of the ends of the DNA strand(s) in the saturated complex. The interaction of the DNA hairpins with G5P led to the unzipping of the base-paired stem, as revealed by fluorescence measurements, fluorescence microfluidic mixing experiments, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay data. Importantly, the disruption of ssDNA’s secondary structure agrees with the behavior of other single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SBPs). In addition, substantial protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE) of the Cy3-fluorescence was observed. KW - DNA KW - Protein KW - ssDNA KW - Fluorescence KW - Raman KW - G5P KW - Hairpin KW - Molecular beacon KW - Quencher KW - Amino Acids KW - SBP KW - SSB KW - Cy3 KW - PIFE KW - Protein-induced fluorescence enhancement KW - Protein–DNA filament KW - Single-stranded DNA-binding protein KW - Bacteriophage f1 KW - Oligonucleotides PY - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c03669 SN - 1520-6106 VL - 127 IS - 38 SP - 8131 EP - 8138 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-58295 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - PFAS Sensors N2 - This contribution provides an introduction to the development of sensors for PFAS analysis, presents the most common approaches, and describes the opto-microfluidic strategy in combination with polymerizable indicators and detection matrices currently being pursued by the Chemical and Optical Sensing Division at BAM. T2 - Advancements of Analytical Techniques for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – Second Workshop 2023 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 19.09.2023 KW - PFAS KW - Sensors KW - Molecularly imprinted polymers KW - Microfluidics KW - Fluorescence PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58533 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Sun, Yijuan A1 - Pérez-Padilla, Víctor A1 - Valderrey, Virginia A1 - Bell, Jérémy A1 - Gawlitza, Kornelia A1 - Rurack, Knut T1 - Fluorescence Detection of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids with a Miniaturised Assay N2 - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made organo-fluorine chemicals that have become environmental contaminants of emerging concern, originating from a variety of materials such as adhesive, stain- and oil-resistant coatings, firefighting foams, etc. The high strength of this C-F bond makes PFAS thermodynamically stable and resistant to (bio)degradation, thus retaining them in the environment over time. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), one category of the most used PFAS, consist of a fully fluorinated carbon backbone and a charged carboxylic acid headgroup, and have been classified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and added to the REACH Candidate List due to their persistence in the environment, non-biodegradability and toxicological effects.[1-2] Traditional techniques for the analysis of PFCAs include GC-MS, HRMS and HPLC-based approaches, which are laborious, not portable, costly and require trained personnel. In contrast, fluorescence assays can be designed as easy-to-operate, portable and cost-effective methods with high sensitivity and fast response. Integration of fluorescent probes with an adequately miniaturized assay enables a promising alternative for PFCAs analysis. Here, a novel guanidine fluorescent probe has been synthesized and fully characterized for the detection of PFCAs in a biphasic extract-&-detect assay. The fluorescent probe was then incorporated into polymeric matrices supported by a red dye-doped SiO2 nanoparticle to construct a dual-emission sensing platform. Such a system allows precise and selective detection of PFCAs, reducing the interference of competitors, matrix effects and other factors except for the PFCAs. The system was then employed in a droplet-based microfluidic setup which offers a portable and easy to operate detection platform. T2 - IMA 2023 CY - Chania, Greece DA - 18.09.2023 KW - PFAS KW - MIP KW - Fluorescence KW - Microfluidics KW - Fluorezsenz KW - Mikrofluidik PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58527 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scholtz, Lena A1 - Tavernaro, Isabella A1 - Eckert, J. G. A1 - Lutowski, M. A1 - Geißler, D. A1 - Hertwig, A. A1 - Hidde, G. A1 - Bigall, N. C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Influence of nanoparticle encapsulation and encoding on the surface chemistry of polymer carrier beads N2 - Surface-functionalized polymer beads encoded with molecular luminophores and nanocrystalline emitters such as semiconductor nanocrystals, often referred to as quantum dots (QDs), or magnetic nanoparticles are broadly used in the life sciences as reporters and carrier beads. Many of these applications require a profound knowledge of the chemical nature and total number of their surface functional groups (FGs), that control bead charge, colloidal stability, hydrophobicity, and the interaction with the environment and biological systems. For bioanalytical applications, also the number of groups accessible for the subsequent functionalization with, e.g., biomolecules or targeting ligands is relevant. In this study, we explore the influence of QD encoding on the amount of carboxylic acid (COOH) surface FGs of 2 μm polystyrene microparticles (PSMPs). This is done for frequently employed oleic acid and oleylamine stabilized, luminescent core/shell CdSe QDs and two commonly used encoding procedures. This included QD addition during bead formation by a thermally induced polymerization reaction and a post synthetic swelling procedure. The accessible number of COOH groups on the surface of QD-encoded and pristine beads was quantified by two colorimetric assays, utilizing differently sized reporters and electrostatic and covalent interactions. The results were compared to the total number of FGs obtained by a conductometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, a comparison of the impact of QD and dye encoding on the bead surface chemistry was performed. Our results demonstrate the influence of QD encoding and the QD-encoding strategy on the number of surface FG that is ascribed to an interaction of the QDs with the carboxylic acid groups on the bead surface. These findings are of considerable relevance for applications of nanoparticle-encoded beads and safe-by-design concepts for nanomaterials. KW - Optical spectroscopy KW - Particle KW - Optical assay KW - IR spectroscopy; conductometry KW - Fluorescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Quality assurance KW - Nano KW - Synthesis KW - Surface chemistry KW - Quantification KW - Method PY - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-581502 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-58150 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pauli, J. A1 - Güttler, Arne A1 - Schneider, T. A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Fluorescence Quantum Yield Standards for the UV/Visible/NIR: Development, Traceable Characterization, and Certification N2 - The rational design of next generation molecular and nanoscale reporters and the comparison of different emitter classes require the determination of the fluorometric key performance parameter fluorescence quantum yield (Φf), i.e., the number of emitted photons per number of absorbed photons. Main prerequisites for reliable Φf measurements, which are for transparent luminophore solutions commonly done relative to a reference, i.e., a fluorescence quantum yield standard of known Φf, are reliable and validated instrument calibration procedures to consider wavelength-, polarization-, and time-dependent instrument specific signal contributions, and sufficiently well characterized fluorescence quantum yield standards. As the standard’s Φf value directly contributes to the calculation of the sample’s Φf, its accuracy presents one of the main sources of uncertainty of relative Φf measurements. To close this gap, we developed a first set of 12 fluorescence quantum yield standards, which absorb and emit in the wavelength region of 330−1000 nm and absolutely determined their Φf values with two independently calibrated integrating sphere setups. Criteria for standard selection and the configuration of these novel fluorescence reference materials are given, and the certification procedure is presented including homogeneity and stability studies and the calculation of complete uncertainty budgets for the certified Φf values. The ultimate goal is to provide the community of fluorescence users with available reference materials as a basis for an improved comparability and reliability of quantum yield data since the measurement of this spectroscopic key property is an essential part of the characterization of any new emitter. KW - Optical spectroscopy KW - Traceability KW - Reference product KW - Dye KW - Fluorescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Reference material KW - Reference data KW - Certification KW - Quality assurance PY - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05530 VL - 95 SP - 5671 EP - 5677 PB - American Chemical Society AN - OPUS4-58151 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -