Encapsulation of hydrophobic dyes in polystyrene micro- and nanoparticles via swelling procedures
(2011)
Aiming at the derivation of a generalized
procedure for the straightforward preparation of particles
fluorescing in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral
region, different swelling procedures for the loading of the
hydrophobic polarity-probe Nile Red into nano- and
micrometer sized polystyrene particles were studied and
compared with respect to the optical properties of the
resulting particles. The effect of the amount of incorporated
dye on the spectroscopic properties of the particles was
investigated for differently sized beads with different
surface chemistries, i.e., non-functionalized, aminomodified
and PEG-grafted surfaces. Moreover, photostability
and leaking studies were performed. The main criterion
for the optimization of the dye loading procedures was a
high and thermally and photochemically stable fluorescence
output of the particles for the future application of these
systems as fluorescent labels.
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.
Increasing the information content from bioassays which requires robust and efficient strategies for the detection of multiple analytes or targets in a single measurement is an important field of research, especially in the context of meeting current security and health concerns. An attractive alternative to spectral multiplexing, which relies on fluorescent labels excitable at the same wavelength, yet sufficiently differing in their emission spectra or color presents lifetime multiplexing. For this purpose, we recently introduced a new strategy based on 'pattern-matching' in the lifetime domain, which was exemplary exploited for the discrimination between organic dyes and quantum dot labels revealing multi-exponential decay kinetics and allowed quantification of these labels. Meanwhile, we have succeeded in extending this lifetime multiplexing approach to nanometer-sized particle labels and probes absorbing and emitting in the visible (vis) and near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. Here, we present a first proof-of-principle of this approach for a pair of NIR-fluorescent particles. Each particle is loaded with a single organic dye chosen to display very similar absorption and emission spectra, yet different fluorescence decay kinetics. Examples for the lifetime-based distinction between pairs of these fluorescent nanoparticles in solution and in cells are presented. The results underline the potential of fluorescenc lifetime multiplexing in life science and bioanalysis.
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.
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.
Unter dem Motto „Innovation und Qualitätssicherung in der (Bio)Analytik“ werden in der Arbeitsgruppe Fluoreszenzspektroskopie der BAM, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, funktionelle Chromophor-Systeme, einfache Signalverstärkungs- und Multiplexingstrategien sowie innovative Validierungs- und rückführbare Standardisierungskonzepte für verschiedene fluorometrische Messgrößen und Methoden entwickelt. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei molekulare Fluorophore, Nanokristalle mit größenabhängigen optischen Eigenschaften (sogenannte Quantenpunkte, QDs) und fluoreszierende Partikel variabler Größe sowie Sonden und Sensormoleküle für neutrale und ionische Analyte und für die Charakterisierung von funktionellen Gruppen. Dabei erfolgen auch methodische Entwicklungen für die Fluoreszenzspektroskopie, die Fluoreszenzmikroskopie, die Milcrofluorometrie, die Sensorik und die Mikroarraytechnologie. Ziele sind u. a. das Design und die Untersuchung von multiplexfähigen selektiven und sensitiven Sonden für die Biomarkeranalytik, die Entwicklung von Methoden zur Charakterisierung der signalrelevanten Eigenschaften dieser Chromophor-Systeme und zur Charakterisierung von funktionellen Gruppen an Oberflächen und ihre Validierung sowie die Entwicklung und Bereitstellung von formatadaptierbaren, flexibel ersetzbaren
Standards für die fluoreszenzbasierte Multiparameteranalytik.