1/18/11
Ultra bright fluorescent silica nanoparticles
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Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation of a different wavelength. An initial ignition light energizes molecules, and then the molecules reemit the light with a different color in the case of ffluorescence. For the accurate detection of environmental pollutants, signals in biosensors and even in the detection of explosives fluorescent materials are used in many of these applications. This phenomenon is used in many different applications because it is easily detectable, using optical filters to remove the ignition light, leaving only the particles' light visible. Fluorescent nanoparticles offer enormous scientific and technological promise as labels and photon sources for a range of biotechnological and information-technology applications such as biological imaging, sensor technology, micro arrays, optical computing, and display technology.Fluorescent silica nanoparticles
A synthetic method has been developed to prepare fluorescent silica nanoparticles without employing isothiocyanated dye molecules and (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APS) for the thiourea linkage formation resulting in fluorescent silica nanoparticles with excellent photochemical, thermal and pH stabilities and a good biocompatibility with over 85% viability from various cell types.
Cornell’s Center for Materials Research (CCMR) and Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC) have developed fluorescent, stable nano-particles with potential applications in many technologies, including photonics and bio-imaging. The Center has developed silica-based particles as an alternative to single molecule fluorophores and quantum dots through the Stöber process which holds particular promise since they are non-toxic, water soluble, the silica chemistry is well established and extremely versatile, and silica is compatible with semiconductor processing.
Brightest fluorescent nanoparticles
Researcher at Clarkson University has synthesizes brightest fluorescent nanoparticles applications in material science, medicine and biology. Particles of different colors can be created which can be made to stick to particular biological molecules inside cells. Then trace those molecules can be easily seen with existing fluorescent microscopes. This fluorescent labeling helps to identify diseased cells and may show the root cause of the disease. The particles are much more stable against photo-beaching than typical fluorescent dye enabling tracing of the particles for a very long time. The particles will have a significant impact in the biomedical area.
The process
The process involves physically entraps a large number of organic fluorescent molecules inside nanoporous silica particles, which can be 20 to 50 nanometers in diameter, while preventing the molecules from leaking. The fluorescence of 40-nanometer particles is 34 times brighter than the brightest water-dispersible (25-30 nanometer) quantum dots and seem to be the brightest nanoparticles created so far. It is claimed that many millions of these with almost identical diameters can be produced in a simple process, enabling many applications that will be inexpensive.
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