title: Water-Soluble, Thermostable, Photomodulated Color-Switching Quantum Dots.
abstract: Photoswitchable probes are of great utility in fluorescence microscopy, permitting numerous determinations, including molecular localization for super-resolution, based on their modifiable emission intensity and spectra. We have coated a blue-emitting (425 nm) quantum dot (QD) with a diheteroarylethene photochrome (PCf), the closed form isomer of which has absorption and emission maxima at 440 and 520-530 nm, respectively, and thus functions as a fluorescent acceptor for the QD donor in Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The transition from the non-absorbing, non-fluorescent open state to the fluorescent closed state is achieved by irradiation in the near-UV and reversed by visible light. The PCf is coupled to an amphiphilic polymer that stably coats the QD, thereby creating a water-soluble color-switching QD (csQD) emitting in the blue after visible light irradiation and in the green after UV irradiation. Thus, csQDs photomodulate between two observable states, without the "off" state of previous constructs. The resulting change in the emission ratios of the QD and PCf is up to 180 %, and the csQD can undergo multiple photocycles with minimal fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA.
authors.forename: Sebastián A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5568-0512
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigation in Bionanosciences (CIBION-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gillanders
authors.affiliation: Optical Sciences Division, Code 5611, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA.|Sotera Defense Solutions, Columbia, MD, 21046, USA.
authors.forename: Kimihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Susumu
authors.affiliation: Optical Sciences Division, Code 5611, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA.|Sotera Defense Solutions, Columbia, MD, 21046, USA.
authors.forename: Eunkeu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Code 6900, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375, USA.
authors.forename: Igor L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Medintz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jovin
mesh_terms: D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007192:Indenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007536:Isomerism; D008027:Light; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007192:Indenes; D014867:Water
keywords: diheteroarylethenes; photochromic FRET; photomodulatable fluorescence; polymer coating; quantum dots