Silicon nanocrystals as signal transducers in ionophore-based fluorescent nanosensors
Silicon nanocrystals as signal transducers in ionophore-based fluorescent nanosensors
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DOI：
10.1016/j.snb.2020.129350
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发表时间：
2021-01-08
影响因子：
8.4
通讯作者：
Cash，Kevin J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ferris，Mark S.;Chesney，Ashley P.;Cash，Kevin J.
胶体硅晶体的尺寸范围为1 ~ 12 nm，也被称为“硅纳米晶体”，具有独特的光学特性，包括高量子效率，可见光到近红外范围内的尺寸相关发射，以及强大的光稳定性。这些特点，再加上硅的高地球丰度和良好的生物相容性，使它们成为生物分析传感器中信号转导元件的一个有吸引力的选择。在这项研究中，我们将硅纳米晶体与钠选择性离子载体和电荷平衡添加剂结合在聚合物纳米传感器中，以创建硅纳米晶体纳米传感器（c - ns）。c - ns通过降低荧光强度来响应钠，而不包含通常包含在用于信号门控的类似传感器中的ph敏感吸收染料，从而导致具有更多光稳定组件的传感器设计。c - ns具有4-277 mM Na+的生物学相关动态范围，对潜在干扰阳离子具有选择性，并且在0到2 M Na+之间具有至少三个周期的可逆响应。这项工作展示了第一个钠响应硅纳米晶体传感器，第一次在聚合物纳米传感器中使用硅纳米晶体，并展示了一个有趣的离子载体介导的硅纳米晶体响应，未来将进一步探索。
Colloidal silicon crystallites in the size range of 1−12 nm, also referred to as “silicon nanocrystals” have unique optical properties that include high quantum efficiency, size-dependent emission spanning the visible to near-infrared range, and robust photostability. These features, combined with silicon’s high earth-abundance and good biocompatibility, make them an attractive option to serve as signal transduction elements in bioanalytical sensors. In this study, we combine silicon nanocrystals with a sodium-selective ionophore and a charge balancing additive in polymeric nanosensors to create a Silicon Nanocrystal NanoSensor (SiNC-NS). The SiNC-NS responded to sodium through a decrease in fluorescence intensity without the inclusion of a pH-sensitive absorbing dye which is normally included in analogous sensors for signal gating, leading to a sensor design with more photostable components. The SiNC-NS has a biologically relevant dynamic range of 4–277 mM Na+, is selective against potentially interfering cations, and a reversible response between 0 and 2 M Na+for at least three cycles. This work shows the first sodium-responsive silicon nanocrystal-based sensor, the first use of silicon nanocrystals in polymeric nanosensors, and demonstrates an intriguing ionophore-mediated response in silicon nanocrystals to be explored further in the future.