Dye-biomolecule conjugates and NIR-fluorescent particles for targeting of disease-related biomarkers
(2011)
Indispensable for fluorescence imaging are highly specific and sensitive molecular probes that absorb and emit in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region and respond to or target molecular species or processes. Here, we present approaches to targeted fluorescent probes for in vivo imaging in the intensity and lifetime domain exploiting NIR dyes. Screening schemes for the fast identification of suitable fluorophores are derived and design criteria for highly emissive optical probes. In addition, as a signal amplification strategy that enables also the use of hydrophobic NIR fluorophores as fluorescent reporters, first steps towards versatile strategies for the preparation of NIR-fluorescent polymeric particles are presented that can be utilized also for the design of targeted and analyte-responsive probes.
Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs) were doped with an oxygen-sensitive near-infrared (NIR)-emissive palladium meso-tetraphenylporphyrin and an inert reference dye which are both excitable at 635 nm. The nanosensors were characterized with special emphasis on fundamental parameters such as absolute photoluminescence quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. The PS-NPs were employed for ratiometric dual-wavelength and lifetime-based photoluminescent oxygen sensing. They were efficiently taken up by cultured murine alveolar macrophages, yielding a characteristic and reversible change in ratiometric response with decreasing oxygen concentration. This correlated with the cellular hypoxic status verified by analysis of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) accumulation. In addition, the surface of PS-NPs was functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the monoclonal antibody herceptin, and their binding to HER2/neu-overexpressing tumor cells was confirmed in vitro. First experiments with tumor-bearing mouse revealed a distinctive ratiometric response within the tumor upon hypoxic condition induced by animal sacrifice. These results demonstrate the potential of these referenced NIR nanosensors for in vitro and in vivo imaging that present a new generation of optical probes for oncology.
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.
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.
Current optical probes including engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are constructed from near infrared (NIR)-emissive organic dyes with narrow absorption and emission bands and small Stokes shifts prone to aggregation-induced self-quenching. Here, we present the new asymmetric cyanine Itrybe with broad, almost environment-insensitive absorption and emission bands in the diagnostic window, offering a unique flexibility of the choice of excitation and detection wavelengths compared to common NIR dyes. This strongly emissive dye was spectroscopically studied in different solvents and encapsulated into differently sized (15, 25, 100 nm) amino-modified polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) via a one-step staining procedure. As proof-of-concept for its potential for pre-/clinical imaging applications, Itrybe-loaded NPs were surface-functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the tumor-targeting antibody Herceptin and their binding specificity to the tumor-specific biomarker HER2 was systematically assessed. Itrybe-loaded NPs display strong fluorescence signals in vitro and in vivo and Herceptin-conjugated NPs bind specifically to HER2 as demonstrated in immunoassays as well as on tumor cells and sections from mouse tumor xenografts in vitro. This demonstrates that our design strategy exploiting broad band-absorbing and -emitting dyes yields versatile and bright NIR probes with a high potential for e.g. the sensitive detection and characterization of tumor development and progression.
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.
The optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals (SC NCs) are largely controlled by their size and surface chemistry, i.e., the chemical composition and thickness of inorganic passivation shells and the chemical nature and number of surface ligands as well as the strength of their bonds to surface atoms.
The latter is particularly important for CdTe NCs, which – together with alloyed CdₓHg₁₋ₓTe – are the only SC NCs that can be prepared in water in high quality without the need for an additional inorganic passivation shell. Aiming at a better understanding of the role of stabilizing ligands for the control of the application-relevant fluorescence features of SC NCs, we assessed the influence of two of the most commonly used monodentate thiol ligands, thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA),
on the colloidal stability, photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY), and PL decay behavior of a set of CdTe NC colloids. As an indirect measure for the strength of the coordinative bond of the ligands to SC NC surface atoms, the influence of the pH (pD) and the concentration on the PL properties of these colloids was examined in water and D₂O and compared to the results from previous dilution studies with a set of thiol-capped Cd₁₋ₓHgₓTe SC NCs in D₂O. As a prerequisite for these studies, the number of surface ligands was determined photometrically at different steps of purification after SC NC synthesis with Ellman’s test.
Our results demonstrate ligand control of the pH-dependent PL of these SC NCs, with MPA-stabilized CdTe NCs being less prone to luminescence quenching than TGA-capped ones. For both types of CdTe colloids, ligand desorption is more pronounced in H₂O compared to D₂O, underlining also the role of hydrogen bonding and solvent molecules.
To improve the reliability of fluorescence data in the life and material sciences and to enable accreditation of fluorescence techniques, standardization concepts are required that guarantee and improve the comparability of fluorescence measurements. At the core of such concepts are simple and evaluated fluorescence standards for the consideration of instrument-specific spectral and intensity distortions of measured signals and for instrument performance validation (IPV). Similarly in need are fluorescence intensity standards for the quantification from measured intensities and for signal referencing, thereby accounting for excitation light-induced intensity fluctuations. These standards should be preferably certified, especially for use in regulated areas like medical diagnostics. This encouraged us to develop liquid and solid standards for different fluorescence parameters and techniques for use under routine measurement conditions in different formates. Special emphasis was dedicated to the determination and control of the spectral responsivity of detection systems, wavelength accuracy, homogeneity of illumination, and intensity referencing for e.g. spectrofluorometers, fluorescence sensors and confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopes. Here, we will present design concepts and examples for mono- and multifunctional fluorescence standards that provide traceability to radiometric units and present a first step towards a toolbox of standards.
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.
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.
Critical review of the determination of photoluminescence quantum yields of luminescent reporters
(2015)
A crucial variable for methodical performance evaluation and comparison of luminescent reporters is the photoluminescence quantum yield (Φ pl). This quantity, defined as the number of emitted photons per number of absorbed photons, is the direct measure of the efficiency of the conversion of absorbed photons into emitted light for small organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, metal–ligand complexes, metal clusters, polymeric nanoparticles, and semiconductor and up-conversion nanocrystals. Φ pl determines the sensitivity for the detection of a specific analyte from the chromophore perspective, together with its molar-absorption coefficient at the excitation wavelength. In this review we discuss different optical and photothermal methods for measuring Φ pl of transparent and scattering systems for the most common classes of luminescent reporters, and critically evaluate their potential and limitations. In addition, reporter-specific effects and sources of uncertainty are addressed. The ultimate objective is to provide users of fluorescence techniques with validated tools for the determination of Φ pl, including a series of Φ pl standards for the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions, and to enable better judgment of the reliability of literature data.
We designed and synthesized triphenylamine based and coumarin fused rhodamine hybrid dyes and characterized using 1H, 13C NMR and HR-LCMS analysis. Both the newly synthesized hybrid dyes were found to show red shifted absorption as well as emissions and large Stokes shift (40e68 nm) as compared to the small Stokes shift (25e30 nm) of reported dyes Rhodamine B and 101. Photophysical properties of these dyes were studied in different solvents and according to the solvents acidity or basicity they preferred to remain in their spirocyclic or open form in different ratio. We studied the spirocyclic as well as open form derivatives of these dyes for their viscosity sensitivity in three different mixture of solvents i.e. polar-protic [EtOH-PEG 400], polar-aprotic [toluene-PEG 400] and non-polaraprotic [toluene-paraffin]. They are found to show very high viscosity sensitivity in polar-protic mixture of solvents [EtOH-PEG 400] and hence concluded that both polarity as well as viscosity factor worked together for the higher emission enhancement rather than only viscosity factor. As these dyes showed very high viscosity sensitivity in their spirocyclic as well as open form, they can be utilized as viscosity sensors in visible as well as deep red region. We also correlated our experimental finding theoretically by using Density Functional theory computations.
Coumarin-rhodamine hybrids-novel probes for the optical measurements of viscosity and polarity
(2017)
A comprehensive systematic study of Absorption and fluorescence properties in solvents of varying viscosity and polarity of three novel and red-emitting coumarin-rhodamine hybrid derivatives with differences in the rigidity of their substituents is presented. This includes ethanol-polyethylene glycol, toluene-polyethylene glycol, and tolueneparaffin mixtures. Moreover, protonation-induced effects on the spectroscopic properties are studied. A viscosity-induced emission enhancement was observed for all coumarin-rhodamine hybrid derivatives. MCR2 bearing a julolidine donor showed the expected low sensitivity to viscosity whereas MCR3 with its freely rotatable diphenylamino Substituent revealed a particularly pronounced sensitivity to this parameter.
Moreover, MCR2 shows an enhancement in Emission in the open, i.e., protonated form in conjunction with a largely Stokes shift fluorescence in the deep red spectral region. This enables the application of these dyes as viscosity sensors and as far red emitting pH-sensitive probes.
Photoluminescence techniques are amongst the most widely used Tools in the life sciences, with new and exciting applications in medical diagnostics and molecular Imaging continuously emerging. Advantages include their comparative ease of use, unique sensitivity, non-invasive character, and potential for Multiplexing, remote sensing, and miniaturization. General drawbacks are, however, signals, that contain unwanted wavelength- and polarization contributions from Instrument-dependent effects, which are also time-dependent due to aging of Instrument-components, and difficulties to measure absolute flourescence entensities. Moreover, scattering Systems require Special measurement geometries and the interest in new optical Reporters with Emission > 1000 nm strategies for reliable measurements in the second diagnostic for the comparison of material Performance and the rational designg of new flourophores with improved properties.
Here, we present strategies to versatile method-adaptable liquid and solid flourescence Standards for different flourescence paramters including traceable Instrument calibration procedures and the design of integrating spere setups for the absolute measurements of emission spectra and Quantum yields in the wavelength Region of 350 to 1600 nm. Examples are multi-Emitter glasses, spectral flourescence Standards, and quantum yield Standards for the UV/vis/NIR.