Fluorescent Polymer Nanoparticles for Nano-Imaging and Sensing

通过这一奖项，化学测量和成像(CMI)项目支持克莱姆森大学的Jason McNeill开发新的成像方法，使可视化复杂环境(如单个细胞或活组织)变得更容易。这项研究的重点是开发一种特殊准备的颗粒，这种颗粒由一种塑料制成，在S刺激下会发光。在这项工作中开发的一些粒子具有感知被成像系统的其他属性的能力，例如局部pH或局部离子浓度。这项工作正在通过开发新的设备和技术对生物医学领域产生广泛的影响，这些设备和技术将使以新的方式观察生命系统内部成为可能。这项工作还可能有助于为研究快速电子产品中的半导体等小型设备提供新的工具。从这项研究中获得的知识将有助于提高一系列设备的功能，如发光显示器和光伏电池。该项目专注于用于传感和高分辨率生物成像的可调荧光纳米颗粒。由共轭聚合物合成可定制纳米颗粒的新方法正在开发中。这些粒子表现出光学特性和传感能力的组合。这项工作还包括开发特别适用于这些纳米颗粒的显微成像方法。纳米粒子特殊的化学结构赋予了高荧光亮度和特殊的光学性质，如单步光开关、高度非线性荧光和通过多个能量转移过程进行传感放大。与含有重金属的纳米颗粒相比，这些颗粒的毒性也更低。成像方法正在开发中，以利用纳米颗粒的光学特性，以获得细胞和组织内的清晰图像和化学信息，分辨率为几纳米。这些纳米粒子还将针对敏感的化学传感应用进行调整。

With this award, the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) program is supporting Jason McNeill of Clemson University to develop new imaging methods that will make it easier to visualize complex environments, such as individual cells or living tissue. The research is focused on the development of specially-prepared particles made from a certain kind of plastic that gives off light when it?s stimulated. Some of the particles being developed in this work have the capability of sensing other properties of the system being imaged, such as the local pH or local ion concentration. This work is having a broad impact on the biomedical field through the development of new devices and techniques that will make it possible to see inside living systems in new ways. The work may also help provide new tools for looking inside small devices such as semiconductors in fast electronics. The knowledge gained from this research will help to improve the functioning of a multitude of devices, such as light-emitting displays and photovoltaic cells.The project focuses on tunable fluorescent nanoparticles for sensing and high-resolution bioimaging. New methods for the synthesis of customizable nanoparticles from conjugated polymers are being developed. These particles display a combination of optical properties and sensing capabilities. The work also involves the development of microscopic imaging methods especially adapted for use with these nanoparticles. The specific chemical structure of the nanoparticles imparts high fluorescence brightness and unusual optical properties such as single-step photoswitching, highly non-linear fluorescence, and sensing amplification via multiple energy transfer processes. The particles also exhibit lower toxicity compared to nanoparticles that contain heavy metals. Imaging methods are being developed to take advantage of the optical properties of the nanoparticles in order to obtain sharp images and chemical information inside cells and tissue, with a resolution of a few nanometers. The nanoparticles will also be tuned for sensitive chemical sensing applications.