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The amount of grafted poly(acrylic acid) on poly(methyl methacrylate) micro- and nanoparticles was quantified by conductometry, 13C solid-state NMR, fluorophore labeling, a supramolecular assay based on high-affinity binding of cucurbit[7]uril, and two colorimetric assays based on toluidine blue and nickel complexation by pyrocatechol violet. The methods were thoroughly validated and compared with respect to reproducibility, sensitivity, and ease of use. The results demonstrate that only a small but constant fraction of the surface functional groups is accessible to covalent surface derivatization independently of the total number of surface functional groups, and different contributing factors are discussed that determine the number of probe molecules which can be bound to the polymer surface. The fluorophore labeling approach was modified to exclude artifacts due to fluorescence quenching, but absolute quantum yield measurements still indicate a major uncertainty in routine fluorescence-based surface group quantifications, which is directly relevant for biochemical assays and medical diagnostics. Comparison with results from protein labeling with streptavidin suggests a porous network of poly(acrylic acid) chains on the particle surface, which allows diffusion of small molecules (cutoff between 1.6 and 6.5 nm) into the network.
With the Calibration Kit Spectral Fluorescence Standards BAM-F001BAM-F005, we developed a simple
tool for the characterization of the relative spectral responsivity and the long-term stability of the emission channel of
fluorescence instruments under routine measurement conditions thereby providing the basis for an improved comparability
of fluorescence measurements and eventually standardization. This first set of traceable fluorescence standards,
which links fluorescence measurements to the spectral radiance scale in the spectral range of 300770 nm and has been optimized for spectrofluorometers, can be employed for different measurement geometries and can be adapted to different fluorescence techniques with proper consideration of the underlying measurement principles.
This report summarizes problems associated with the comparability of measurements of photoluminescence and procedures for the characterization of relevant instruments, focusing on physical and chemical fluorescence standards. To provide recommendations on selecting and using such standards, we derive general and scope-specific requirements and quality criteria for suitable devices and materials and briefly address metrological requirements linked to the realization of comparable measurements. Special emphasis is dedicated to liquid and solid chromophore-based fluorescence standards developed or currently tested by us.
Prerequisite for the rational design of functional organic materials with tailor-made electronic properties is the knowledge of the structure–property relationship for the specific class of molecules under consideration. This encouraged us to systematically study the influence of the molecular structure and substitution pattern of aromatically substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles on the electronic properties and packing motifs of these molecules and on the interplay of these factors. For this purpose, seven diphenyl-oxadiazoles equipped with methyl substituents in the ortho- and meta-position(s) were synthesized and characterized. Absorption and fluorescence spectra in solution served here as tools to monitor substitution-induced changes in the electronic properties of the individual molecules whereas X-ray and optical measurements in the solid state provided information on the interplay of electronic and packing effects. In solution, the spectral position of the absorption maximum, the size of Stokes shift, and the fluorescence quantum yield are considerably affected by ortho-substitution in three or four ortho-positions. This results in blue shifted absorption bands, increased Stokes shifts, and reduced fluorescence quantum yields whereas the spectral position and vibrational structure of the emission bands remain more or less unaffected. In the crystalline state, however, the spectral position and shape of the emission bands display a strong dependence on the molecular structure and/or packing motifs that seem to control the amount of dye–dye-interactions. These observations reveal the limited value of commonly reported absorption and fluorescence measurements in solution for a straightforward comparison of spectroscopic results with single X-ray crystallography. This underlines the importance of solid state spectroscopic studies for a better understanding of the interplay of electronic effects and molecular order.
FAU membranes of type NaX and MFI membranes of type silicalite-1 which contain adsorbed azobenzene (AZB), have photoswitchable permeation properties due to the transcis photoisomerization of AZB. The change of gas permeation through these hostguest composite membranes depends on the irradiation wavelength, the quality of the membranes and the amount of adsorbed AZB. The permeances of the gases in the trans-form of the zeolite-encapsulated AZB were higher than those in the cis-form. The separation factors of equimolar mixtures of N2/CO2 and CH4/CO2 fed through the FAUAZB membrane were higher at trans-switching than at cis-switching. The changes of the permeances of single gases and of the separation factors of equimolar gas mixtures by photoinduced transcis switching were found to be reversible over numerous switching cycles. The experimental results are in agreement with predictions made by Monte Carlo simulations for passing of permeant gases through these hostguest systems with the zeolite-hosted AZB in the trans- and in the cis-configuration.
A novel fluorescent host-guest material, molecular sieves of AlPO4-5-type doped with 2,2'-bipyridyl-3,3'-diol, was prepared and spectroscopically characterized. The composite crystals show a pronounced optical anisotropy, indicating a high degree of alignment of the guest molecules within the zeolitic pore system. A mean tilting angle of 22 was found for the orientation of the individual dye molecules in the straight channels. The corrected fluorescence emission spectra were determined, and time-resolved fluorescence studies revealed that the dye molecules are preferentially found in three different types of microenvironment. By invoking pH-dependent studies of the dye in aqueous solution, we could trace these spectroscopic features back to two main influences, coadsorbed water within AlPO4-5 pores and guest-host interactions with a few relatively weak Brnsted acid (defect) sites of the inorganic host network.
The scope of this paper is to illustrate the need for an improved quality assurance in fluorometry. For this purpose, instrumental sources of error and their influences on the reliability and comparability of fluorescence data are highlighted for frequently used photoluminescence techniques ranging from conventional macro- and microfluorometry over fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to microarray technology as well as in vivo fluorescence imaging. Particularly, the need for and requirements on fluorescence standards for the characterization and performance validation of fluorescence instruments, to enhance the comparability of fluorescence data, and to enable quantitative fluorescence analysis are discussed. Special emphasis is dedicated to spectral fluorescence standards and fluorescence intensity standards.
Molecular engineering of polymer surfaces that includes the attachment of functional molecules to existing or previously generated reactive chemical groups like e.g., - OH, - NH2, or - CHO requires simple strategies and tools for the controlled generation of surface functionalities and their derivatization as well as for their identification and eventually quantification. Here, we systematically investigate the plasma-chemical surface modification of polypropylene films in combination with dansyl labeling chemistry and conventional, yet costly, XPS and highly sensitive fluorescence spectroscopy for the detection of surface groups. Based on these results, the potential of and requirements on the fluorometric characterization and quantification of surfaces functionalities are discussed.
A strategy for the rational design of a new optical sensor material for the selective recognition of long-chain carboxylates in water is presented. The approach relies on the combination of structure-property relationships to single out the optimal molecular sensor unit and the tuning of the sensing characteristics of an inorganic support material. A spacer-substituted 7-urea-phenoxazin-3-one was employed as the signaling moiety and a mesoporous trimethylsilylated UVM-7 (MCM-41 type) material served as the solid support. The sensor material shows the advantageous features of both modules that is absorption and emission in the visible spectral range, a fluorescence red-shift and enhancement upon analyte coordination, and the amplification of noncovalent (binding) and hydrogen-bonding (recognition) interactions in the detection event. Besides these basic results that are related to the design and performance of the sensor material, the paper discusses general aspects of amido-substituted phenoxazinone photophysics and addresses some general features of molecular anion recognition chemistry in aqueous vs nonaqueous media, utilizing steady-state and time-resolved optical as well as NMR spectroscopies. Detailed studies on potentially competing biochemical species and a first access to the schematic model of the response of the sensor material as obtained by a combination of fluorescence lifetime distribution analysis and Langmuir-type fitting of the gross binding constants complement the key issues of the paper.
Photoluminescence techniques are amongst the most widely used tools in the material and life sciences, with new and exciting applications continuously emerging. Advantages include their comparative ease of use, unique sensitivity, non-invasive character, and potential for multiplexing, remote sensing, and miniaturization. Increasing applications of fluorescence techniques in the life sciences and emerging medical applications of fluorescence microscopic techniques including 1P and 2P fluorescence microscopy combined with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) in e.g. in vivo eye diagnostics boosted the demand for robust, easy-to-use, and reliable fluorescence standards to ensure the reliability and comparability of fluorescence data. This includes fluorescence standards for the consideration of instrument-specific spectral and intensity distortions of measured signals and instrument performance validation, fluorescence intensity standards for the quantification of measured intensities and for signal referencing, and lately, also fluorescence lifetime standards.
A new class of boron-dipyrromethene (BDP or BODIPY) dyes was obtained by phenanthrene fusion to the β-pyrrole positions, absorbing in the wavelength range of important laser sources. Despite a 'propeller-like' distorted structure in the crystalline state, the chromophore absorbs (log ε ≥ 5) and fluoresces (Φf ≥ 0.8) strongly and can be easily turned into a fluorescence light-up probe. Incorporation into latex beads produces bright and photostable single-dye and Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) particles for microscopy applications.
Mineral building materials are generally heterogeneous and porous solids. Their engineering properties are closely associated with their porosity and pore-size distribution, which can be studied by mercury intrusion. The entire pore-size distribution curves are used to determine changes in the pore structure of a material class in a qualitative way. Certain parameters derived from pore-size distributions can be correlated to engineering properties. These key values are applied as criteria to evaluate the quality and durability of a building material. However, because of the heterogeneity of natural and artificial building materials and the influence of moisture content on their pore structure the results are strongly affected by preparation conditions such as sampling and drying. A correct analysis requires a knowledge of these effects. The paper describes the use of mercury porosimetry to study mineral building materials such as cementitious materials, bricks, and renderings. Furthermore, the influence of preparation effects on the precision of measurements is discussed.
A straightforward strategy toward the sensitive fluorometric detection of primary amino groups on plasma-chemically modified polypropylene supports is presented, exploiting the transformation of the sterically nonhindered pyrylium dye Py-1 into its pyridinium counterpart. The reaction-induced blue-shifted absorption and emission bands and an increased fluorescence quantum yield provide the basis for the spectroscopic distinction between covalently bound and free, that is, nonspecifically adsorbed label molecules. With this label, for the first time, plasma-chemically introduced amino functionalities could be monitored on the surface of a polymer film employing fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy.
The combination of nanomaterials as solid supports and supramolecular concepts has led to the development of hybrid materials with improved functionalities. These hetero-supramolecular ideas provide a means of bridging the gap between molecular chemistry, materials sciences, and nanotechnology. In recent years, relevant examples have been reported on functional aspects, such as enhanced recognition and sensing by using molecules on preorganized surfaces, the reversible building of nanometer-sized networks and 3D architectures, as well as biomimetic and gated chemistry in hybrid nanomaterials for the development of advanced functional protocols in three-dimensional frameworks. This approach allows the fine-tuning of the properties of nanomaterials and offers new perspectives for the application of supramolecular concepts.
Water-dispersible and (bio)functionalizable nanoclays have a considerable potential as inexpensive carriers for organic molecules like drugs and fluorophores. Aiming at simple design strategies for red-emissive optical probes for the life sciences from commercial precursors with minimum synthetic effort, we systematically studied the dye loading behavior and stability of differently functionalized laponites. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the absorption and emission properties of the red emissive hydrophobic and neutral dye Nile Red, a well-known polarity probe, which is almost insoluble and nonemissive in water. Adsorption of this probe onto disk-shaped nanoclays was studied in aqueous dispersion as function of dye concentration, in the absence and presence of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) assisting dye loading, and as a function of pH. This laponite loading strategy yields strongly fluorescent nanoclay suspensions with a fluorescence quantum yield of 0.34 at low dye loading concentration. The dye concentration-, CTAB-, and pH-dependent absorption, fluorescence emission, and fluorescence excitation spectra of the Nile-Red6#8211;nanoclay suspensions suggest the formation of several Nile Red species including emissive Nile Red monomers facing a polar environment, nonemissive H-type dimers, and protonated Nile Red molecules that are also nonfluorescent. Formation of all nonemissive Nile Red species could be suppressed by modification of the laponite with CTAB. This underlines the great potential of properly modified and functionalized laponite nanodisks as platform for optical probes with drug delivery capacities, for example, for tumor and therapy imaging. Moreover, comparison of the Nile Red dimer absorption spectra with absorption spectra of previously studied Nile Red aggregates in dendrimer systems and micelles and other literature systems reveals a considerable dependence of the dimer absorption band on microenvironment polarity which has not yet been reported so far for H-type dye aggregates.
The increase in information content from bioassays and bioimaging requires robust and efficient strategies for the detection of multiple analytes or targets in a single measurement, thereby addressing current health and security concerns. For fluorescence techniques, an attractive alternative to commonly performed spectral or color multiplexing presents lifetime multiplexing and the discrimination between different fluorophores based on their fluorescence decay kinetics. This strategy relies on fluorescent labels with sufficiently different lifetimes that are excitable at the same wavelength and detectable within the same spectral window. Here, we report on lifetime multiplexing and discrimination with a set of nanometer-sized particles loaded with near-infrared emissive organic fluorophores chosen to display very similar absorption and emission spectra, yet different fluorescence decay kinetics in suspension. Furthermore, as a first proof-of-concept, we describe bioimaging studies with 3T3 fibroblasts and J774 macrophages, incubated with mixtures of these reporters employing fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. These proof-of-concept measurements underline the potential of fluorescent nanoparticle reporters in fluorescence lifetime multiplexing, barcoding, and imaging for cellular studies, cell-based assays, and molecular imaging.
The therapeutic value of antibiotics depends on the susceptibility of the infecting microorganism and the pharmacological profile of the drugs. To assess the value of an antibiotic combination of polymyxin B and miconazole this study examined the in vitro synergistic potential of the two drugs on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeast. Antifungal and antibacterial activity was tested by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of broth macrodilution and urea broth microdilution, by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Synergism was calculated using the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi). With Staphylococcus intermedius as target we found up to an eightfold reduction of the individual MICs when both drugs were combined. However, the FICi was 0.63 suggesting no real interaction between the two drugs. With Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Malassezia pachydermatis as targets the antimicrobial drug combination reduced the MICs of polymyxin B and miconazole from fourfold to hundredfold resulting in FICi between 0.06 and 0.5 which defines a synergistic action. Thus, if polymyxin B and miconazole are combined their effect is greater than the sum of the effects observed with polymyxin B and miconazole independently, revealing bactericidal and fungicidal synergism. Our results indicate a strong therapeutic value for the combination of these antimicrobial agents against Gram-negative bacteria and yeast and a weaker value against Gram positive bacteria for clinical situations where these pathogens are involved.
The commercial availability of stand-alone setups for the determination of absolute photoluminescence quantum yields (φf) in conjunction with the increasing use of integrating sphere accessories for spectrofluorometers is expected to have a considerable influence not only on the characterization of chromophore systems for use in optical and opto-electronic devices, but also on the determination of this key parameter for (bio)analytically relevant dyes and functional luminophores. Despite the huge potential of systems measuring absolute φf values and the renewed interest in dependable data, evaluated protocols for even the most elementary case, the determination of the fluorescence quantum yield of transparent dilute solutions of small organic dyes with integrating sphere methods, are still missing. This encouraged us to evaluate the performance and sources of uncertainty of a simple commercial integrating sphere setup with dilute solutions of two of the best characterized fluorescence quantum yield standards, quinine sulfate dihydrate and rhodamine 101, strongly differing in spectral overlap between absorption and emission. Special attention is dedicated to illustrate common pitfalls of this approach, thereby deriving simple procedures to minimize measurement uncertainties and improve the comparability of data for the broad community of users of fluorescence techniques.
In order to develop simple and versatile procedures for the preparation of red emissive particles, various one-step swelling procedures for the loading of fluorophores into nanometer- and micrometer-sized polystyrene particles were systematically assessed. Parameters studied for model dyes from common dye classes include the composition of the swelling medium, dye charge and polarity, dye concentration, and particle surface chemistry. The dye loading procedures were compared based upon the efficiency of dye incorporation, fluorescence intensity, and colloidal stability of the resulting particles as well as the absence of dye leaking as determined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and measurements of zeta potentials. In addition, for the first time, the influence of the amount of incorporated dye on the absolute fluorescence quantum yield and brightness of the fluorescent particles was investigated for selected chromophores in differently sized particles using a custom-made calibrated integrating sphere setup. Our results demonstrate the general suitability of these one-step loading procedures for efficient particle staining with neutral, zwitterionic, and charged fluorophores like oxazines, coumarines, squaraines, xanthenes, and cyanines emitting in the visible and near infrared. Dye polarity was identified as a suitable tool to estimate the loading efficiency of fluorophores into these polymer particles.
One of the most active research areas in the life and material sciences is the design and synthesis of fluorescent nano- and micrometre sized particles for applications e.g. as labels, sensor systems, and platforms for fluorescence assays or barcoding materials. The reliable and reproducible fabrication of such particles as well as many applications require accurate, simple, and versatile procedures for the determination of the dye content per particle which affects e.g. the brightness of these materials and their surface charge and thus, colloidal stability. Here, four fast and inexpensive spectroscopic methods for the quantification of the fluorophore content of beads are presented and compared for nanometre- and micrometre sized polystyrene particles loaded or labeled with commercial fluorophores, differing in dye class, charge, and hydrophilicity. This included the determination of the amount of incorporated dye from absorption spectra of bead suspensions, via dissolving of the polymer matrix, via extraction of the polymer matrix, and from the supernatant of the swelling solution or reaction mixture. Method validation was performed with a sulfur-containing dye and elemental analysis. Based upon this method comparison and the accomplishable uncertainties, two reliable strategies for particle characterization and bead process control are identified that can be easily extended to other materials.
Bioanalytical, clinical, and security applications increasingly require simple, efficient, and versatile strategies to measure an ever increasing number of analytes or events in parallel in a broad variety of detection formats as well as in conjunction with chromatographic separation techniques or flow cytometry. An attractive alternative to common optical multiplexing and encoding methods utilizing spectral multiplexing/color encoding and intensity encoding is lifetime multiplexing, which relies on the discrimination between different fluorescent reporters based on their fluorescence decay kinetics. Here, we propose a platform of surface-functionalizable polymeric nanoparticles stained with fluorophores differing in their fluorescence lifetimes as a new multiplexing and encoding approach. Proof-of-concept measurements with different sets of lifetime-encoded polystyrene nanoparticles are presented, obtained via staining of preformed particles with visible (vis)- and near-infrared (NIR)-emissive organic dyes, which display very similar absorption and emission spectra to enable excitation and detection at the same wavelengths, yet sufficiently different fluorescence decay kinetics in suspension, thereby minimizing instrumentation costs. Data analysis was performed with a linear combination approach in the lifetime domain. Our results and first cell experiments with these reporter sets underline the suitability of our multiplexing strategy for the discrimination between and the quantification of different labels. This simple and versatile concept can be extended to all types of fluorophores, thereby expanding the accessible time scale, and can be used, e.g., for the design of labels and targeted probes for fluorescence assays and molecular imaging, cellular imaging studies, and barcoding applications, also in conjunction with spectral and intensity encoding.
Aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal-based bichromophores can be readily synthesized in a consecutive three-component synthesis in good to excellent yields by condensation of aroyl chlorides and an N-(p-bromobenzyl) 2-methyl benzothiazolium salt followed by a Suzuki coupling, yielding a library of 31 bichromophoric fluorophores with substitution patterntunable emission properties. Varying both chromophores enables different communication pathways between the chromophores, exploiting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and energy transfer (ET) properties, and thus, furnishing aggregation-based fluorescence switches. Possible applications range from fluorometric analysis of alcoholic beverages to pH sensors.
Objective: The utilization of fluorescein-guided biopsies and resection has been recently discussed as a suitable strategy to improve and expedite operative techniques for the resection of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. However, little is known about the optical properties of sodium fluorescein (NaFl) in human tumor tissue and their potential impact on ex vivo analyses involving fluorescence-based methods.
Methods: Tumor tissue was obtained from a study cohort of an observational study on the utilization of fluorescein-guided biopsy and resection (n=5). The optical properties of fluorescein-stained tissue were compared to the optical features of the dye in vitro and in control samples consisting of tumor tissue of high-grade glioma patients (n=3) without intravenous (i.v.) application of NaFl. The dye-exposed tumor tissues were used for optical measurements to confirm the detectability of NaFl emission ex vivo. The tissue samples were fixed in 4%PFA, immersed in 30% sucrose, embedded in Tissue-Tek OCT compound, and cut to 10 mm cryosections. Spatially resolved emission spectra from tumor samples were recorded on representative slides with a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope FV1000 (Olympus GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) upon excitation with lexc = 488 nm.
Results: Optical measurements of fluorescein in 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) under in vitro conditions showed an absorption maximum of lmax abs = 479 nm as detected with spectrophotometer Specord 200 and an emission peak at lmax em = 538 nm recorded with the emCCD detection system of a custom-made microscope-based single particle setup using a 500 nm long-pass filter. Further measurements revealed pH- and concentration-dependent emission spectra of NaFl. Under ex vivo conditions, confocal laser scanning microscopy of fluorescein tumor samples revealed a slight bathochromic shift and a broadening of the emission band.
Conclusion: Tumor uptake of NaFl leads to changes in the optical properties – a bathochromic shift and broadening of the emission band – possibly caused by the dye’s high pH sensitivity and concentration-dependent reabsorption acting as an innerfilter of the dye’s emission, particularly in the short wavelength region of the Emission spectrum where absorption and fluorescence overlap. Understanding the ex vivo optical properties of fluorescein is crucial for testing and validating its further applicability as an optical probe for intravital microscopy, immunofluorescence localization studies, and flow cytometry analysis.
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanobacterial toxin associated with human and animal poisonings. Due to its toxicity in combination with its widespread occurrence, the development of reliable methods for selective, sensitive detection and accurate quantification is mandatory. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis using stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) represents an ideal tool for this purpose. U-[15N5]-CYN was synthesized by culturing Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in Na15NO3-containing cyanobacteria growth medium followed by a cleanup using graphitized carbon black columns and mass spectrometric characterization. Subsequently, a SIDA-LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of CYN in freshwater and Brassica matrices was developed showing satisfactory performance data. The recovery ranged between 98 and 103 %; the limit of quantification was 15 ng/L in freshwater and 50 µg/kg dry weight in Brassica samples. The novel SIDA was applied for CYN determination in real freshwater samples as well as in kale and in vegetable mustard exposed to toxin-containing irrigation water. Two of the freshwater samples taken from German lakes were found to be CYN-contaminated above limit of quantification (17.9 and 60.8 ng/L). CYN is systemically available to the examined vegetable species after exposure of the rootstock leading to CYN mass fractions in kale and vegetable mustard leaves of 15.0 µg/kg fresh weight and 23.9 µg/kg fresh weight, respectively. CYN measurements in both matrices are exemplary for the versatile applicability of the developed method in environmental analysis.
Polypropylene supports were functionalized by plasma-deposition of polymeric allylamine layers. The surface amino groups generated were wet-chemically reacted with xanthene dyes resulting in fluorescent polymer films. The effect of polymer-attachment of the dyes on their emission features was studied fluorometrically and different methods were tested to improve the fluorescence properties of the films. Modification with cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) yields a moderately enhanced fluorescence as well as an improved photostability. The observed effect is most likely due to CB6-induced rigidization of the linker molecules which seems to reduce fluorescence quenching dyedye and fluorophoresurface interactions.
The widespread use and acceptance of fluorescence techniques especially in regulated areas like medical diagnostics is closely linked to standardization concepts that guarantee and improve the comparability and reliability of fluorescence measurements. At the core of such concepts are dependable fluorescence standards that are preferably certified. The ever rising interest in fluorescence measurements in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region renders the availability of spectral and intensity standards for this wavelength region increasingly important. This encouraged us to develop approaches to solid NIR standards based upon dye-doped polymers and assess their applicationrelevant properties in comparison to metal ion-doped glasses. The overall goal is here to provide inexpensive, easily fabricated, and robust internal and external calibration tools for a broad variety of fluorescence instruments ranging e.g. from spectrofluorometers over fluorescence microscopes to miniaturized fluorescence sensors.
The ever increasing applications of fluorescence techniques in conjunction with the interest in enhanced detection sensitivities in bioanalysis, biosensing, and bioimaging are closely linked to the rational design of novel nontoxic fluorescent nanomaterials with improved brightness and stability that can be reproducibly synthesized from inexpensive starting materials in simple one-pot reactions and easily surface functionalized. This encouraged us to investigate the potential of the commercially available water-dispersible nanoclay Laponite RD with the empirical formula Na0.7(H2O)n{(Li0.3Mg5.5)[Si8O20(OH)4]}, forming 25 nm sized disk-shaped particles, as nanocarriers for different fluorophores. The Si–OH functions at the rims of these disks can be selectively grafted with 3-aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane (APES), thereby enabling subsequent coupling to amine-reactive molecules ranging from target-specific organic ligands and biomolecules to amine-reactive fluorescent labels. Here, we present different strategies for the surface functionalization of nanoclays and the subsequent quantification of the density of synthetically introduced surface amino groups exploiting analytical methods which rely on different detection schemes including elemental analysis, colorimetric assays, and fluorophore labeling strategies. In this respect, we systematically assess the potential of negatively and positively charged, neutral, and zwitterionic dyes to act as fluorescent labels for amino functionalities at the surface of negatively charged nanoclays. Our studies underline the strong influence of dye charge and aggregation tendency on the brightness of the bound dyes and on surface group quantification. Best results regarding surface group analysis and coupling yield were obtained for a neutral dansyl derivative and fluorescamine.
The development of a lanthanum-phosphate glass doped with several rare-earth-ions for use as solid fluorescence standard is described. The cuvette-shaped reference material which shows a characteristic emission intensity pattern upon excitation at 365 nm consisting of a multitude of relatively narrow emission bands in the wavelength region between 450 nm and 700 nm is intended for the day-to-day performance validation of fluorescence measuring devices. Evaluation of the fluorescent glass include the determination of all properties which can affect its relative emission intensity profile or contribute to the uncertainty of the certified values like absorption spectra, fluorescence anisotropy, excitation wavelength and temperature dependence of the spectroscopic features, homogeneity of fluorophore distribution, photo- and long-term stability. Moreover, a certification procedure was developed including the normalization of the intensity profile consisting of several narrow emission bands and the calculation of wavelength-dependent uncertainties. Criteria for the design, characterization, and working principle of the new reference material BAM-F012 are presented, and possible applications of this ready-to-use fluorescence standard are discussed.
A novel method that optimizes the screening for antibody-secreting hapten-specific hybridoma cells by using flow cytometry is described. Cell clones specific for five different haptens were analyzed. We selectively double stained and analyzed fixed hybridoma cells with fluorophore-labeled haptens to demonstrate the target-selectivity, and with a fluorophore-labeled anti-mouse IgG antibody to characterize the level of surface expression of membrane-bound IgGs. ELISA measurements with the supernatants of the individual hybridoma clones revealed that antibodies from those cells, which showed the highest fluorescence intensities in the flow cytometric analysis, also displayed the highest affinities for the target antigens. The fluorescence intensity of antibody-producing cells corresponded well with the produced antibodies' affinities toward their respective antigens. Immunohistochemical staining verified the successful double labeling of the cells. Our method makes it possible to perform a high-throughput screening for hybridoma cells, which have both an adequate IgG production rate and a high target affinity.
Dye-stained micrometer-sized polymer beads are important tools in the life sciences with applications in biomedical, biochemical, and clinical research. Here, bead-based assays are increasingly used, for example, in DNA sequencing and the detection of autoimmune diseases or pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, stained beads are employed as calibration tools for fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry methods with increasing complexity. To address the requirements concerning the relevant fluorescence features, the spectroscopic properties of representative polymer beads with diameters ranging from about 1 to 10 μm stained with varying concentrations of rhodamine 6G were systematically assessed. The observed dependence of the spectral properties, fluorescence decay kinetics, and fluorescence quantum yields on bead size and dye loading concentration is attributed to different fluorescence characteristics of fluorophores located in the particle core and near-surface dye molecules. Supported by the fluorescence anisotropy measurements, the origin of the observed alteration of fluorescence features is ascribed to a combination of excitation energy transfer and polarity-related effects that are especially pronounced at the interface of the bead and the surrounding medium. The results of our studies underline the need to carefully control and optimize all Parameters that can affect the fluorescence properties of the dye-stained beads.
Comparing the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ensembles of nanocrystals like semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with single particle studies is of increasing interest for many applications of These materials as reporters in bioimaging studies performed under very dilute conditions or even at the single particle level. Particularly relevant is here the PL quantum yield (ΦF), which determines the signal size together with the reporter’s molar extinction coefficient and is a direct measure for nanocrystal quality, especially for the inorganic surface passivation shell and its tightness, which can be correlated also with nanocrystal stability and the possible release of heavy metal ions. Exemplarily for red and green emitting CdTe nanocrystals, we present a method for the determination of ΦF of nanoparticle dispersions at ultralow concentration compared to cuvette measurements using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), a single molecule method, and compared to molecular dyes with closely matching spectral properties and known ΦF. Our results underline the potential of this approach, provided that material-inherent limitations like ligand- and QD-specific aggregation affecting particle diffusion and QD drawbacks such as their complex and power-dependent blinking behavior are properly considered as shown here.
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has been meanwhile observed for many dye classes and particularly for fluorophores containing propeller-like groups. Herein, we report on the AIE characteristics of a series of four hydrophobic pyrrolidinylvinylquinoxaline (PVQ) derivatives with phenyl, pyrrolyl, indolyl, and methoxythienyl substituents used to systematically vary the torsion angle between this substituent at the quinoxaline C2 position and the planar PVQ moiety. These molecules, which are accessible via four- or five-component one-pot syntheses, were spectroscopically studied in organic solvents and solvent−water mixtures, as dye aggregates, solids, and entrapped in polystyrene particles (PSP). Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements revealed a strong fluorescence enhancement for all dyes in ethanol−water mixtures of high water content, accompanying the formation of dye aggregates with sizes of a few hundred nm, overcoming polarity and H-bonding-induced fluorescence quenching of the chargetransfer-type emission of these PVQ dyes. The size and shape of these dye aggregates and the size of the AIE effect are controlled by the water content and the substituent-dependent torsion angle that influences the nucleation process and the packing of the molecules during aggregation. Staining of 1 μm-sized carboxy-functionalized PSP with the PVQ dyes resulted also in a considerable increase in the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime, reflecting the combined influence of the restricted molecular motion and the reduced polarity of the dye microenvironment.
Merocyanine–triarylamine bichromophores are readily synthesized by sequentially Pd-catalyzed insertion alkynylation–Michael–Suzuki four-component reactions. White-light emissive systems form upon aggregation in 1 : 99 and 0.1 : 99.9 vol% CH2Cl2–cyclohexane mixtures, ascribed to aggregation-induced dual emission (AIDE) in combination with partial energy transfer between both chromophore units as supported by spectroscopic studies.
We present a comparative study of the spectroscopic properties of the donor–acceptor–donor substituted dyes triphenylamine-allylidenemalononitrile-julolidine (TMJ) and triphenylamine-allylidenemalononitriletriphenylamine (TMT), bearing one and two propeller-like triphenylamine donor moieties, in solvents of varying polarity and viscosity and in the aggregated and solid state. Our results reveal control of the aggregation-induced spectroscopic changes and the packing motifs of the dye molecules in the solid state by the chemical nature and structure of the second nitrogen-containing donor, i.e., a planar and a rigid julolidine or a twisted triphenyl group. Assuming that the TMT and TMJ aggregates show a comparable arrangement of the molecules to the respective crystals, these different molecular interactions in the solid state are responsible for aggregation induced emission (AIE) in the case of TMT and its absence for TMJ. Moreover, a versatile strategy for the fluorescence enhancement of only weakly emissive AIE dyes is shown, turning these dyes into bright nanoscale fluorescent reporters by using them as stains for preformed polymer particles.
N-Benzyl aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals can be readily synthesized by condensation of aroyl chlorides and N-Benzyl 2-methyl benzothiazolium salts in good to excellent yields, yielding a library of 35 chromophores with bright solid-state emission and aggregation-induced emission characteristics.
Varying the substituent from electron-donating to electronwithdrawing enables the tuning of the solid-state emission Color from deep blue to red.
We present here the design and characterization of a set of spectral calibration beads. These calibration beads are intended for the determination and regular control of the spectral characteristics of fluorescence microscopes and other fluorescence measuring devices for the readout of bead-based assays. This set consists of micrometer-sized polymer beads loaded with dyes from the liquid Calibration Kit Spectral Fluorescence Standards developed and certified by BAM for the wavelength-dependent Determination of the spectral responsivity of fluorescencemeasuring devices like spectrofluorometers. To cover the wavelength Region from 400 to 800 nm, two new near-infrared emissive dyes were included, which were spectroscopically characterized in solution and encapsulated in the beads. The resulting set of beads presents the first step towards a new platform of spectral calibration beads for the determination of the spectral characteristics of fluorescence instruments like fluorescence microscopes, FCM setups, and microtiter plate readers, thereby meeting the increasing demand for reliable and comparable fluorescence data especially in strongly regulated areas, e.g., medical diagnostics. This will eventually provide the basis for standardized calibration procedures for imaging systems as an alternative to microchannel slides containing dye solutions previously reported by us.
Commercial platforms consisting of ready-to-use microarrays printed with target-specific DNA probes, a microarray scanner, and software for data analysis are available for different applications in medical diagnostics and food analysis, detecting, e.g., viral and bacteriological DNA sequences. The transfer of these tools from basic research to routine analysis, their broad acceptance in regulated areas, and their use in medical practice requires suitable calibration tools for regular control of instrument performance in addition to internal assay controls. Here, we present the development of a novel assay-adapted calibration slide for a commercialized DNA-based assay platform, consisting of precisely arranged fluorescent areas of various intensities obtained by incorporating different concentrations of a 'green' dye and a 'red' dye in a polymer matrix. These dyes present 'Cy3' and 'Cy5' analogues with improved photostability, chosen based upon their spectroscopic properties closely matching those of common labels for the green and red channel of microarray scanners. This simple tool allows to efficiently and regularly assess and control the performance of the microarray scanner provided with the biochip platform and to compare different scanners. It will be eventually used as fluorescence intensity scale for referencing of assays results and to enhance the overall comparability of diagnostic tests.
A new fluorescent pentaphene derivative is presented that differs
from hexabenzocoronene (HBC) by one carbon atom in the basal
plane skeleton. A 500% increased fluorescence quantum yield
is measured compared to the HBC derivative. The pentaphene
compound, obtained by a modified Scholl oxidation, is also emissive
in the solid-state, due to the packing motif in the crystal.
The large number of nanomaterial-based applications emerging in the materials and life sciences and the foreseeable increasing use of these materials require methods that evaluate and characterize the toxic potential of these nanomaterials to keep safety risks to people and environment as low as possible. As nanomaterial toxicity is influenced by a variety of parameters like size, shape, chemical composition, and surface chemistry, high throughput screening (HTS) platforms are recommended for assessing cytotoxicity. Such platforms are not yet available for genotoxicity testing. Here, we present first results obtained for application-relevant nanomaterials using an automatable genotoxicity platform that relies on the quantification of the phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) for detecting DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and the automated microscope system AKLIDES® for measuring integral fluorescence intensities at different excitation wavelengths. This platform is used to test the genotoxic potential of 30 nm-sized citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) as well as micellar encapsulated iron oxide nanoparticles (FeOx-NPs) and different cadmium (Cd)-based semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), thereby also searching for positive and negative controls as reference materials. In addition, the influence of the QD shell composition on the genotoxic potential of these Cd-based QDs was studied, using CdSe cores as well as CdSe/CdS core/shell and CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell QDs. Our results clearly revealed the genotoxicity of the Au-NPs and its absence in the FeOx-NPs. The genotoxicity of the Cd-QDs correlates with the shielding of their Cd-containing core, with the core/shell/shell architecture preventing genotoxicity risks. The fact that none of these nanomaterials showed cytotoxicity at the chosen particle concentrations in a conventional cell viability assay underlines the importance of genotoxicity studies to assess the hazardous potential of nanomaterials.
To demonstrate the potential of time-resolved flow cytometry (FCM) for bioanalysis, clinical diagnostics, and optically encoded bead-based assays, we performed a proof-of-principle study to detect biomolecular interactions utilizing fluorescence lifetime (LT)-encoded micron-sized polymer beads bearing target-specific bioligands and a recently developed prototype lifetime flow cytometer (LT-FCM setup). This instrument is equipped with a single excitation light source and different fluorescence detectors, one operated in the photon-counting mode for time-resolved measurements of fluorescence decays and three detectors for conventional intensity measurements in different spectral windows. First, discrimination of bead-bound biomolecules was demonstrated in the time domain exemplarily for two targets, Streptavidin (SAv) and the tumor marker human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). In a second step, the determination of biomolecule concentration levels was addressed representatively for the inflammation-related biomarker tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) utilizing fluorescence intensity measurements in a second channel of the LT-FCM instrument. Our results underline the applicability of LT-FCM in the time domain for measurements of biomolecular interactions in suspension assays. In the future, the combination of spectral and LT encoding and multiplexing and the expansion of the time scale from the lower nanosecond range to the longer nanosecond and the microsecond region is expected to provide many distinguishable codes. This enables an increasing degree of multiplexing which could be attractive for high throughput screening applications.
Redox switches are applied in various fields of research, including molecular lifts, electronic devices and sensors. Switching the absorbance between UV and Vis/NIR by redox processes is of interest for applications in light harvesting or biomedicine.
Here, we present a series of push-pull benzothiadiazole derivatives with high fluorescence quantum yields in solution and in the crystalline solid state. Spectroelectrochemical analysis reveals the switching of UV-absorption in the neutral state to Vis/NIR absorption in the reduced state. We identify the partial irreversibility of the switching process, which appears to be reversible on the cyclic voltammetry timescale.
The absorption and emission properties of organic dyes are generally tuned by altering the substitution pattern. However, tuning the fluorescence lifetimes over a range of several 10 ns while barely affecting the spectral features and maintaining a moderate fluorescence quantum yield is challenging. Such properties are required for lifetime multiplexing and barcoding applications. Here, we show how this can be achieved for the class of fluoranthene dyes, which have substitution-dependent lifetimes between 6 and 33 ns for single wavelength excitation and emission. We explore the substitution-dependent emissive properties in the crystalline solid state that would prevent applications.
Furthermore, by analyzing dye mixtures and embedding the dyes in carboxyfunctionalized 8 μm-sized polystyrene particles, the unprecedented potential of these dyes as labels and encoding fluorophores for time-resolved fluorescence detection techniques is demonstrated.
Tempo-spectral multiplexing in flow cytometry with lifetime detection using QD-encoded polymer beads
(2020)
Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) embedded into polymer microbeads are known to be very attractive emitters for spectral multiplexing and colour encoding. Their luminescence lifetimes or decay kinetics have been, however, rarely exploited as encoding parameter, although they cover time ranges which are not easily accessible with other luminophores. We demonstrate here the potential of QDs made from II/VI semiconductors with luminescence lifetimes of several 10 ns to expand the lifetime range of organic encoding luminophores in multiplexing applications using time-resolved flow cytometry (LT-FCM). For this purpose, two different types of QD-loaded beads were prepared and characterized by photoluminescence measurements on the ensemble level and by single-particle confocal laser scanning microscopy. Subsequently, these lifetime-encoded microbeads were combined with dye-encoded microparticles in systematic studies to demonstrate the potential of these QDs to increase the number of lifetime codes for lifetime multiplexing and combined multiplexing in the time and colour domain (tempo-spectral multiplexing). These studies were done with a recently developed novel luminescence lifetime flow cytometer (LT-FCM setup) operating in the time-domain, that presents an alternative to reports on phase-sensitive lifetime detection in flow cytometry.
The conventional hybridoma screening and subcloning process is generally considered to be one of the most critical steps in hapten-specific antibody production. It is time-consuming, monoclonality is not guaranteed, and the number of clones that can be screened is limited. Our approach employs a novel hapten-specific labeling technique of hybridoma cells. This allows for fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and single-cell deposition and thereby eliminates the above-mentioned problems. A two-step staining approach is used to detect antigen specificity and antibody expression: in order to detect antigen specificity, hybridoma cells are incubated with a hapten−horseradish peroxidase conjugate (hapten−HRP), which is subsequently incubated with a fluorophore-labeled polyclonal anti-peroxidase antibody (anti-HRP−Alexa Fluor 488). To characterize the expression of membrane-bound immunoglobulin G (IgG), a fluorophore-labeled anti-mouse IgG antibody (anti-IgG−Alexa Fluor 647) is used. Hundreds of labeled hybridoma cells producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for a hapten were rapidly isolated and deposited from a fusion mixture as single-cell clones via FACS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurements of the supernatants of the sorted hybridoma clones revealed that all hapten-specific hybridoma clones secrete antibodies against the target. There are significant improvements using this high-throughput technique for the generation of mAbs including increased yield of antibody-producing hybridoma clones, ensured monoclonality of sorted cells, and reduced development times.
Time-resolved flow cytometry represents an alternative to commonly applied spectral or intensity multiplexing in bioanalytics. At present, the vast majority of the reports on this topic focuses on phase-domain techniques and specific applications. In this report, we present a flow cytometry platform with time-resolved detection based on a compact setup and straightforward time-Domain measurements utilizing lifetime-encoded beads with lifetimes in the nanosecond range. We provide general assessment of time-domain flow cytometry and discuss the concept of this platform to address achievable resolution limits, data analysis, and requirements on suitable encoding dyes. Experimental data are complemented by numerical calculations on photon count numbers and impact of noise and measurement time on the obtained lifetime values.
The fluorescence lifetime is a key property of fluorophores that can be utilized for microenvironment probing, analyte sensing, and multiplexing as well as barcoding applications. For the rational design of lifetime probes and barcodes, theoretical methods have been developed to enable the ab initio prediction of this parameter, which depends strongly on interactions with solvent molecules and other chemical species in the emitters' immediate environment. In this work, we investigate how a conductor-like screening model (COSMO) can account for variations in fluorescence lifetimes that are caused by such fluorophore−solvent interactions. Therefore, we calculate vibrationally broadened fluorescence spectra using the nuclear ensemble method to obtain distorted molecular geometries to sample the electronic transitions with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The influence of the solvent on fluorescence lifetimes is accounted for with COSMO. For example, for 4-hydroxythiazole fluorophore containing different heteroatoms and acidic and basic moieties in aprotic and protic solvents of varying polarity, this approach was compared to experimentally determined lifetimes in the same solvents. Our results demonstrate a good correlation between theoretically predicted and experimentally measured fluorescence lifetimes except for the polar solvents Ethanol and acetonitrile that can specifically interact with the heteroatoms and the carboxylic acid of the thiazole derivative.