title: Probing lipid coating dynamics of quantum dot core micelles via Förster resonance energy transfer.
abstract: Lipid coated nanocrystal assemblies are among the most extensively investigated nanoparticle platforms for biomedical imaging and therapeutic purposes. However, very few efforts have been addressed to the lipid coating exchange dynamics in such systems, which is key to our understanding of the nanoparticles' coating stability and their interactions with the environment. Here, we apply the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from quantum dot (QD) core to Cy5.5 dye labeled lipids at the surface to monitor the lipid exchange dynamics in situ and to study its dependence on concentration, temperature and solvent. A kinetic model is developed to describe the experimental data, allowing the rate constants and the activation energy for lipid exchange to be determined. The activation energy for lipid exchange on QD micelles is 155 kJ/mol in saline environment and 130 kJ/mol in pure water. The findings presented here provide basic knowledge on these self-assembled structures and contribute to understanding their performance and to further design of nanomedicine.
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter and Interfaces, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, Utrecht, 3584 CC, The Netherlands; Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schapotschnikow
authors.forename: Torjus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skajaa
authors.forename: Thijs J H
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vlugt
authors.forename: Willem J M
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Mello Donegá
authors.forename: Andries
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meijerink
mesh_terms: D002232:Carbocyanines; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008823:Micelles; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C098793:CY5.5 cyanine dye; D002232:Carbocyanines; D008055:Lipids; D008823:Micelles; D014867:Water
keywords: förster resonance energy transfer; lipid exchange; nanocrystal micelle; quantum dots; structure and dynamics