Photo and pH stable, highly-luminescent silicon nanospheres and their bioconjugates for immunofluorescent cell imaging

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Apr 1;131(12):4434-8. doi: 10.1021/ja808827g.

Abstract

We report a novel kind of oxidized silicon nanospheres (O-SiNSs), which simultaneously possess excellent aqueous dispersibility, high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY), ultra photostability, wide pH stability, and favorable biocompatibility. Significantly, the PLQY of the O-SiNSs is as high as 25%, and is stable under intense UV irradiation and in acidic-to-basic environments covering the pH range 2-12. To our best knowledge, it is the first example of water-dispersed silicon nanoparticles which possess both high PLQY and robust pH stability suitable for broad utility in bioapplications. Furthermore, the O-SiNSs are readily conjugated with antibody, and the resultant O-SiNSs/antibody bioconjugates are successfully applied in immunofluorescent cell imaging. The results show that the highly luminescent and stable O-SiNSs/antibody bioconjugates are promising fluorescent probes for wide-ranging bioapplications, such as long-term and real-time cellular labeling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Cell Survival
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Light
  • Luminescence
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Nanospheres / chemistry*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Tetrazolium Salts / chemistry
  • Thiazoles / chemistry
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Tetrazolium Salts
  • Thiazoles
  • Water
  • thiazolyl blue
  • Silicon