title: Silole nanocrystals as novel biolabels.
abstract: A novel class of biofunctional silole nanocrystals with the potential to create highly sensitive immunoassay was firstly demonstrated. Biolabels were constructed by encapsulating nanocrystalline hexaphenylsilole [Ph2Si(CPh)4HPS] within ultrathin polyelectrolyte layers via the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique that provided an "interface" for the attachment of antibodies. A high ratio of fluorescent dyes to biomolecules (F/P ratio; 2.4 x 10(3)) was achieved without self-quenching problem. The aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature offered silole biolabels the sensitivity 40- to 140-fold higher than that of a start-of-the-art immunoassay using directly fluorescent-labeled antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biosensors and Bioelectronics Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cangel Pui-Yee
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haeussler
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhong Tang
authors.forename: Yongqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: King-keung
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Wing-cheung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trau
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seydack
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renneberg
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes