Abstract
This paper presents work done on developing optically-traceable intracellular nanodiamond sensors, where the photoluminescence can be changed by a biomolecular attachment/delivery event. Their high biocompatibility, small size and stable luminescence from their color centers make nanodiamond (ND) particles an attractive alternative to molecular dyes for drug-delivery and cell-imaging applications. In our work, we study how surface modification of ND can change the color of ND luminescence (PL). This method can be used as a novel detection tool for remote monitoring of chemical processes in biological systems. Recently, we showed that PL can be driven by atomic functionalization, leading to a change in the color of ND luminescence from red (oxidized ND) to orange (hydrogenated ND). In this work, we show how PL of ND changes similarly when interacting with positively and negatively charged molecules. The effect is demonstrated on fluorinated ND, where the high dipole moment of the C-F bond is favorable for the formation of non-covalent bonds with charged molecules. We model this effect using electrical potential changes at the diamond surface. The final aim of the work is to develop a “smart” optically traceable drug carrier, where the delivery event is optically detectable.
Highlights
Fluorescent cellular biomarkers play an essential role in biology and medicine for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging in living cells
In this work we demonstrate the influence of the presence of charged molecules on changes in the occupation of NV− and NV0 states in fluorinated ND, with NV− quenching upon interaction with positively charged polymers
The luminescent properties of NV defects engineered in HPHT ND when interacting with charged molecules have been studied
Summary
Fluorescent cellular biomarkers play an essential role in biology and medicine for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging in living cells. Luminescent nanodiamond (ND) has recently been suggested as a novel optical marker for cellular imaging [1, 2]. ND offers advantages over classical fluorescent markers used for in vivo and in vitro imaging in living cells. It offers a cellular delivery combined with strong and stable photoluminescence (PL) originating from the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) or other lattice point defects. ND is biocompatible, and its surface can be terminated with various groups and functionalized with biomolecules [3, 4], making ND a suitable carrier for cellular targeting or drug delivery. In this work we show a method for changing the PL properties of ND in a biological environment by surface terminationinduced changes leading to electric field development close to the ND surface
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