A New Design of Nanoscale Optical Voltage Sensors from Plasmonic/Nonlinear-Optical Material Core/Shell Nanoparticles

等离子体/非线性光学材料核/壳纳米粒子纳米级光学电压传感器的新设计

• 批准号: 1610361
• 负责人: Xiangfeng Duan
• 金额: $ 37.72万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-07-01 至 2019-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1610361&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: New; Design; Nanoscale; Optical; Voltage

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Duan at University of California, Los Angeles, designs and develops a new generation of nanoscale optical voltage sensors (NOVS) based on core/shell nanoparticles with a core of plasmonic nanostructure and a shell of nonlinear-optical (NLO) material. The design of plasmonic/NLO core/shell nanoparticles creates a new signaling pathway to sensitively and rapidly convert the local voltage signal into a detectable optical signal. This project focuses on designing, synthesizing and investigating the electro-optical sensor of described core/shell nanoparticles, and exploring the feasibility of using the optimized sensors for monitoring cell membrane potential. The design of optical reporters of voltage signal is of considerable interest for diverse applications, particularly for recording cell membrane potentials that are essential for high throughput, high space and time resolution. Such applications can be used to examine neural circuits, an integral component of brain activities. In line with the NSF "Understand the Brain" initiative, the successful development of the described NOVS may greatly expand our capability in detecting, imaging and monitoring dynamic neural activities to provide insight on brain function. Professor Duan's research program is closely integrated with education and outreach activities to broadly disseminate the research results. His program provides students with educational and training opportunities. He also works with the California NanoSystems Institute to help training high school teachers to bring new nanotechnology concepts to their high school science classes.Professor Duan is developing nanoscale optical voltage sensors (NOVS) consisting of a core/shell nanoparticles with a core of plasmonic nanostructure and a shell of nonlinear-optical (NLO) material. He uses an external electrical field to actively modulate the dielectric environment and thus its plasmonic resonance spectrum, creating a new signaling pathway to sensitively and rapidly transfer the local voltage signal into a detectable optical signal. This project includes five research and educational activities: (1) to use finite element simulation to guide the design of a series of plasmonic/NLO core/shell nanostructures with desired plasmonic properties and electro-optical modulation; (2) to develop robust chemistries to synthesize the plasmonic core with controlled composition, morphology, dimension and the plasmonic resonance properties; (3) to use single particle spectroscopy to investigate the electro-optical modulation and the voltage sensitivity of the designed core/shell nanoparticles; (4) to explore the feasibility of using the optimized NOVS for monitoring cell membrane potential; and (5) to integrate fluorescence materials with the plasmonic/NLO nanoparticles to convert scattering-based plasmonic signal to fluorescence signal.

洛杉矶加州大学的段教授在化学系化学测量和成像项目的支持下，设计和开发了新一代基于核/壳纳米粒子的纳米光学电压传感器（NOVS），该纳米粒子具有等离子纳米结构的核和非线性光学（NLO）材料的壳。等离子体/NLO核/壳纳米颗粒的设计创建了一种新的信号传导途径，以灵敏且快速地将局部电压信号转换为可检测的光信号。本项目的重点是设计、合成和研究所述核/壳纳米粒子的电光传感器，并探索使用优化的传感器监测细胞膜电位的可行性。电压信号的光学报告器的设计对于不同的应用，特别是对于记录细胞膜电位，对于高通量、高空间和时间分辨率是必不可少的，具有相当大的兴趣。 这些应用程序可以用来检查神经回路，这是大脑活动的一个组成部分。与NSF“理解大脑”倡议一致，所描述的NOVS的成功开发可以极大地扩展我们在检测、成像和监测动态神经活动以提供对大脑功能的洞察方面的能力。段教授的研究计划与教育和推广活动紧密结合，以广泛传播研究成果。他的计划为学生提供教育和培训机会。他亦与加州纳米系统研究所合作，协助培训中学教师，将新的纳米科技概念引入中学科学课程。段教授现正开发纳米级光学电压传感器（NOVS），该传感器由核/壳纳米粒子组成，核为等离子纳米结构，壳为非线性光学（NLO）材料。 他使用外部电场来主动调制介电环境，从而调制其等离子体共振光谱，创造了一种新的信号通路，将局部电压信号灵敏快速地转换为可检测的光信号。该项目包括五项研究和教育活动：（1）使用有限元模拟来指导一系列具有所需等离子体特性和电光调制的等离子体/NLO核/壳纳米结构的设计;（2）开发稳健的化学方法来合成具有可控成分、形态、尺寸和等离子体共振特性的等离子体核;（3）利用单粒子光谱技术研究了所设计的核/壳结构纳米粒子的电光调制特性和电压敏感性，（4）探讨了利用优化的NOVS监测细胞膜电位的可行性;以及（5）将荧光材料与等离子体/NLO纳米颗粒整合以将基于散射的等离子体信号转换为荧光信号。