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Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are an established and powerful matrix for the selective enrichment and separation of chemical species, especially of small organic molecules. Because MIPs contain cavities in their matrix that are complementary in size, shape and electronic/electrostatic or hydrogen bonding demand to the imprinted target molecule or template, they are frequently termed “artificial antibodies”. Compared to natural antibodies, they are chemically and physically much more robust. MIP formation proceeds through the polymerization of a mixture of functional monomers and cross-linkers in the presence of the template with subsequent extraction of the latter. While this strategy has been successfully employed for separation MIPs since decades, the development of sensory MIPs has long been limited to the combination of a MIP as enrichment phase with a separate signalling element in a discontinuous fashion, being unsuitable for many sensing applications. Only very recently, the implementation of specifically designed fluorescent probes into MIPs has been successfully accomplished, fluorescence being one of the most versatile, sensitive and easily miniaturizable techniques. This presentation will introduce basic design considerations, challenges, limitations and the potential that lies with such sensor materials on the background of the work carried out in our group.
Application of pesticides is ubiquitous to better manage agricultural production. However, most of these compounds are harmful or toxic for humans and highly persistent in the environment, even in the crops themselves. Therefore, the rapid and reliable monitoring of pesticide residues is a very important area of environmental analysis. If conducted directly in the field, the use of fluorescence sensing methods is particularly attractive, because they allow for sensitive and rapid analyses while being very versatile. Recently, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as promising candidates for the primary sensing phase. Their robustness, low price and tunability render them an attractive alternative to more conventional biosensors based on antibodies.
At present, a number of MIP formats are available besides the initial bulk polymer monoliths. Core/shell micro- and nanoparticles are especially suitable for sensor applications. A thin shell provides many advantages compared to a bulk polymer, such as fast diffusion of analyte, homogeneity of binding cavities and a higher number of binding sites closer to the surface. A strategy for sensory MIP synthesis is to introduce the fluorophore covalently into the polymer layer. The fluorescent probe monomer may thus consist of a fluorophore unit, a polymerizable unit and a recognition unit.
One of the issues in targeting acidic pesticides such as 2,4-D is the fact that usually their deprotonated form is used for imprinting in organic solvents, commonly as the tetraalkylammonium salt. This approach harbours drawbacks when it comes to analytical rebinding, because real samples seldom contain such counterions. In our group, we have thus developed a new fluorescent probe monomer containing the 2-aminopyridine moiety, which forms strong enough intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the carboxylic acid group of neat 2,4-D. During a titration of the probe monomer with the analyte, hydrogen bond formation is indicated by spectral shifts and fluorescence enhancement. Crystallography studies verified complex formation. The higher fluorometric response of the core-shell MIP compared to a non-imprinted control polymer proved successful imprinting.
Here, we will discuss the pros and cons of neutral molecule vs. salt imprinting, potentially expanding the possibilities of fluorescent sensory MIPs.
DNA origami nanostructures provide a platform where dye molecules can be arranged with nanoscale accuracy allowing to assemble multiple fluorophores without dye–dye aggregation. Aiming to develop a bright and sensitive ratiometric sensor system, we systematically studied the optical properties of nanoarrays of dyes built on DNA origami platforms using a DNA template that provides a high versatility of label choice at minimum cost. The dyes are arranged at distances, at which they efficiently interact by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). To optimize array brightness, the FRET efficiencies between the donor fluorescein (FAM) and the acceptor cyanine 3 were determined for different sizes of the array and for different arrangements of the dye molecules within the array. By utilizing nanoarrays providing optimum FRET efficiency and brightness, we subsequently designed a ratiometric pH nanosensor using coumarin 343 as a pH-inert FRET donor and FAM as a pH-responsive acceptor. Our results indicate that the sensitivity of a ratiometric sensor can be improved simply by arranging the dyes into a well-defined array. The dyes used here can be easily replaced by other analyte-responsive dyes, demonstrating the huge potential of DNA nanotechnology for light harvesting, signal enhancement, and sensing schemes in life sciences.
The reliable identification and quantification of phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins is one of the key challenges in contemporary bioanalytical research, noteworthy, to diagnose and treat diseases at an early developmental stage. Miniaturised sensing devices like microfluidic chips combined with “smart” detection chemistry, simple data assessment, processing and presentation are very attractive for benchtop use in clinical environments.
We developed novel synthetic probes targeting phosphorylated amino acids, based on core-shell microparticles consisting of a silica core coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell. These “plastic antibodies” are extremely robust, resist denaturing solvents and elevated temperatures, can be reproducibly produced at low cost, and potentially overcome many of the practical problems in current bioanalytical detection strategies. The MIP layer contains a fluorescent probe monomer, binds selectively to phosphorylated tyrosine (pTyr) with a significant imprinting factor higher than 3.5 and responds with a “lighting-up” of its fluorescence accompanied by the development of a strongly red-shifted emission band toward the analyte.
In analogy to our previous work [4], the bead-based ratiometric detection scheme has also been successfully transferred to a microfluidic chip format to demonstrate its applicability to rapid assays. Such a miniaturised device could yield an automated pTyr measurement system in the future. The setup was built by coupling a modular microfluidic system [5] for amino acid functionalisation (Fmoc protection) and a multi-layer PDMS/Teflon/glass microfluidic chip [6] for buffering, extraction (micropillars co-flow extraction) and selective adsorption on the MIP core-shell particles.
A miniaturised optical assembly for low-light fluorescence measurements was also developed. Based on small opto-electronic parts and optical fibres, the emission from the MIP particles upon addition of pTyr concentrations from 0.5 – 200 μM could be monitored in real-time.
The reliable identification and quantification of phosphorylated amino acids, peptides and proteins is one of the key challenges in contemporary bioanalytical research, noteworthy, to diagnose and treat diseases at an early developmental stage1. Miniaturised sensing devices like microfluidic chips combined with “smart” detection chemistry, simple data assessment, processing and presentation are very attractive for benchtop use in clinical environments.
We developed novel synthetic probes targeting phosphorylated amino acids, based on core-shell microparticles consisting of a silica core coated with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) shell. These “plastic antibodies” are extremely robust, resist denaturing solvents and elevated temperatures, can be reproducibly produced at low cost, and potentially overcome many of the practical problems in current bioanalytical detection strategies. The MIP layer contains a fluorescent probe monomer, binds selectively to phosphorylated tyrosine (pY) with a significant imprinting factor higher than 3.5 and responds with a “lighting-up” of its fluorescence accompanied by the development of a strongly red-shifted emission band toward the analyte. In analogy to our previous work4, the bead-based ratiometric detection scheme has also been successfully transferred to a microfluidic chip format to demonstrate its applicability to rapid assays. Such a miniaturised device could yield an automated pY measurement system in the future. The setup was built by coupling a modular microfluidic system5 for amino acid functionalisation (Fmoc protection) and, as shown in Figure 1, a multi-layer PDMS/Teflon/glass microfluidic chip6 for buffering, extraction (micropillars co-flow extraction) and selective adsorption on the MIP core-shell particles.
A miniaturised optical assembly for low-light fluorescence measurements was also developed. Based on small opto-electronic parts and optical fibres, the emission from the MIP particles upon addition of pY concentrations from 0.5-200 μM could be monitored in real-time.
We present the optical sensing of phthalate Esters (PAEs), a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The sensing takes place as changes in the fluorescence emission intensity of aminopyrene covalently bound to the organic ligands of the metal−organic framework compound ZIF-8. In the presence of PAEs, a quenching of the fluorescence emission is observed. We evaluated strategies to engineer colloidal size distribution of the sensing particles to optimize the sensory response to PAEs. A thorough characterization of the modified ZIF-8 nanoparticles included powder X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and photophysical characterization. The presented capability of the fluorophore-functionalized ZIF-8 to sense PAEs complements established methods such as chromatography-based procedures, which cannot be used on-site and paves the way for future developments such as hand-held quick sensing devices.
The reversible analyte-induced switching between a colourless leuco form of a dye and its coloured all-π-conjugated form is one of the oldest concepts in probe- or indicator-based optical analysis,1 constituting so-called “one-color indicators”.2 In contrast to colour changes in the visible region, for which usually a bond-forming or a non-covalent interaction between a functional group on an indicator and an analyte is responsible, the extraordinarily large shifts of 150–250 nm seen for leuco-to-all-π-conjugated transformation are only possible when the reaction takes place directly at a site that is an intrinsic part of a dye’s π-system; the classic case are triphenylmethane dyes.3 Despite its obvious potential, this approach has not been a very popular area of scientific research for decades, perhaps because it is much more difficult to implement selectivity than by modifying terminal functional groups. However, in recent years, reaction-based fluorescence probes have attracted increasing attention by virtue of their superior sensitivity.4,5
Nowadays, rhodamines and fluoresceins are by far the most prominent groups of reaction-based indicators.5 They are usually switched between a colourless and non-fluorescent and a greenish-yellowish absorbing and yellowish-reddish emitting form. Typically, the coloured and fluorescent form is ionic, while the colourless form is neutral, reactions having mainly be designed to occur at the end groups of the xanthenoid π-system. BODIPY dyes, with their favourable spectroscopic and chemical properties as well as facile wavelength tunability features have only very recently been explored into this direction.6,7 Reaction at the core dipyrrin framework of these dyes led to strong colour and fluorescence modulations with potential applications in materials sciences6 and cell imaging.7 The present contribution will highlight the mechanisms at play and the sensing performance realized so far, and will compare core-reactive approaches to reaction-based signalling that involves π-extension of BODIPYs.8,9
Gold films coated with a graphene sheet are being widely used as sensors for the detection of label-free binding interactions using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). During the preparation of such sensors, it is often essential to subject the sensor chips to a high-temperature treatment in order to ensure a clean graphene surface. However, sensor chips used currently, which often use chromium as an adhesion promoter, cannot be subjected to temperatures above 250 °C, because under such conditions, chromium is found to reorganize and diffuse to the surface, where it is easily oxidized, impairing the quality of SPR spectra. Here we present an optimized preparation strategy involving a three-cycle tempering coupled with chromium (oxide) etching, which allows the graphene-coated SPR chips to be annealed up to 500 °C with little deterioration of the surface morphology. In addition, the treatment delivers a surface that shows a clear enhancement in spectral response together with a good refractive index sensitivity. We demonstrate the applicability of our sensors by studying the kinetics of avidin–biotin binding at different pH repeatedly on the same chip. The possibility to anneal can be exploited to recover the original surface after sensing trials, which allowed us to reuse the sensor for at least six cycles of biomolecule adsorption.
Biopolymers are the building blocks of life. Their properties are exploited for material functionalization on the nanoscale in a flexible manner. An overview over current research activities in the field of sensing, nanostrcuturing, radiation damage measurements on DNA and proteins and microfluidics is given.