title: Nonlinear optical chromophores as nanoscale emitters for single-molecule spectroscopy.
abstract: Fluorescence imaging of single molecules at room temperature is a powerful technique for studying complex condensed phase systems and revealing structure and dynamics hidden by ensemble measurements. Successful single-molecule spectroscopic experiments rely upon strong emitters that can be detected at the level of individual copies above the relevant background signals. This Account discusses a class of nonlinear optical chromophores that not only are well-suited for single-molecule imaging but also offer additional beneficial properties such as a significant ground-state dipole moment, moderate hyperpolarizability, and sensitivity to local environment. An overview of the photophysical properties of several members of this class of molecules as well as a mechanism to help understand the environmental sensitivity is presented. Some preliminary applications of the chromophores as single-molecule reporters in cellular and polymer systems are discussed, along with detection of the emitters by two-photon fluorescence.
authors: Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, and Department of Chemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors: Katherine A
authors: KA
authors: Willets
authors: Stefanie Y
authors: SY
authors: Nishimura
authors: P James
authors: PJ
authors: Schuck
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Twieg
authors: W E
authors: WE
authors: Moerner
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000737:chemistry*; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D038761:Photobleaching; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005663:Furans; D009570:Nitriles