Abstract
Nowadays, multiplex analysis is very popular, since it allows to detect a large number of biomarkers simultaneously. Traditional multiplex analysis is usually based on changes of photoluminescence (PL) intensity and/or PL band spectral positions in the presence of analytes. Using PL lifetime as an additional parameter might increase the efficiency of multiplex methods. Quantum dots (QDs) can be used as luminescent markers for multiplex analysis. Ternary in-based QDs are a great alternative to the traditional Cd-based one. Ternary QDs possess all advantages of traditional QDs, including tunable photoluminescence in visible range. At the same time ternary QDs do not have Cd-toxicity, and moreover they possess long spectral dependent lifetimes. This allows the use of ternary QDs as a donor for time-resolved multiplex sensing based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). In the present work, we implemented FRET from AgInS2/ZnS ternary QDs to cyanine dyes absorbing in different spectral regions of QD luminescence with different lifetimes. As the result, FRET-induced luminescence of dyes differed not only in wavelengths but also in lifetimes of luminescence, which can be used for time-resolved multiplex analysis in biology and medicine.
Highlights
At present, it is very urgent to develop methods for the simultaneous detection of several analytes using multiplex analysis of biomarkers [1]
We demonstrate proof-of-concept of spectral-time multiplexing utilizing TR-Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between AgInS2/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and two cyanine dyes (Cy3 and Cy5) and whose absorption bands overlap different regions of the AIS QD PL band having different lifetimes
In present proof-of-concept study we have demonstrated on the model objects Cy3 and Cy5 cyanine dyes the difference in spectral positions and lifetimes of the FRET-induced PL of two dyes-acceptors using AIS QDs as a donor, which makes it possible to use this system for time-resolved multiplex analysis
Summary
It is very urgent to develop methods for the simultaneous detection of several analytes using multiplex analysis of biomarkers [1]. The latter comes from the existence of a set of exciton energy states inside QDs band-gap, the luminescent transitions from which with different decay times form the broad PL band of t-QDs [30,31] This fact and large PL bandwidth of ternary QDs allow to potentially realize simultaneously several effective FRET channels from QDs to different acceptors with different absorption and radiation wavelengths, as was recently shown for Mn (II): CdS/ZnS QDs [29] and discussed in [27,32,33]. We demonstrate proof-of-concept of spectral-time multiplexing utilizing TR-FRET between AgInS2/ZnS QDs and two cyanine dyes (Cy3 and Cy5) and whose absorption bands overlap different regions of the AIS QD PL band having different lifetimes
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