Imaging and Sensing using Fluorescent Nanoparticles in the nIR Window

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have unique optical and physical properties, and they benefit from the ease of surface functionalization and biocompatibility. Semiconducting SWCNTs fluoresce in the near-infrared (nIR) part of the spectrum, which overlaps with the transparency window of biological samples. The SWCNTs fluorescence is sensitive to the environment, and depending on the surface functionalization, subtle changes in the proximity of the nanotube can result in significant spectral modulations. Hence, SWCNTs can be utilized as optical sensors enabling real-time detection. I will present two recent discoveries of protein detection using SWCNTs functionalized with variants of poly(ethylene glycol). Using high-throughput screening against a panel of human blood proteins, we have discovered sensors for the proteins fibrinogen and insulin. The recognition also occurs in serum, showing that the SWCNTs sensors work in this complex environment despite the potential nonspecific adsorption. These results open new avenues for synthetic recognition of biological macromolecules, and hold great promise for medical and clinical applications.

Reference

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