Responsive Nanogel Probe for Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensing of pH and Strain in Hydrogels.
Mingning ZhuDongdong LuShanglin WuQing LianWenkai WangAmir H MilaniZhengxing CuiNam T NguyenMu ChenL Andrew LyonDaman J AdlamAnthony J FreemontJudith A HoylandBrian R SaundersPublished in: ACS macro letters (2017)
In this study a new pH-responsive nanogel probe containing a complementary nonradiative resonance energy transfer (NRET) fluorophore pair is investigated and its ability to act as a versatile probe of network-related changes in three hydrogels demonstrated. Fluorescent sensing using NRET is a powerful method for studying relationships between Angstrom length-scale structure and macroscopic properties of soft matter. Unfortunately, inclusion of NRET fluorophores into such materials requires material-specific chemistry. Here, low concentrations of preformed nanogel probes were included into hydrogel hosts. Ratiometric photoluminescence (PL) data for the gels labeled with the nanogel probes enabled pH-triggered swelling and deswelling to be studied as well as Ca 2+ -triggered collapse and solute release. PL measurements during compression of a nanogel probe-labeled nanocomposite gel demonstrated mechanochromic behavior and strain sensing. The new nanogel probes have excellent potential for investigating the internal structures of gels and provide a versatile ratiometric fluorescent platform for studying pH and strain.
Keyphrases
- living cells
- fluorescent probe
- quantum dots
- energy transfer
- single molecule
- drug delivery
- hyaluronic acid
- sensitive detection
- wound healing
- small molecule
- pet imaging
- tissue engineering
- high resolution
- nitric oxide
- high throughput
- computed tomography
- cancer therapy
- big data
- climate change
- gold nanoparticles
- data analysis
- pet ct
- drug release
- photodynamic therapy
- nucleic acid
- protein kinase
- reduced graphene oxide
- high speed