title: Bright fluorescent nanoparticles for developing potential optical imaging contrast agents.
abstract: Fluorescent cross-linked nanoparticles with variable fluorophore loading amounts, locations, and particle sizes were synthesized from sequential one-pot functionalization/cross-linking of block copolymer micelles with amine-terminated dye and cross-linker molecules, via reductive amination and amidation. The fluorescence quantum yield and brightness of these nanoparticles were evaluated by steady-state and dynamic fluorescence methods. The results demonstrate that the quantum yield and brightness of the fluorescent nanoparticles correlated directly with the number of dyes/nanoparticle and the nanoparticle size. A strategy to increase the fluorescence brightness of nanoparticles with fluorescein and near-infrared dyes is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Guorong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Mikhail Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Berezin
authors.forename: Jinda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Hyeran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wooley
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achilefu
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008823:Micelles; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D011789:Quantum Theory
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008823:Micelles