Stable Fluorescence Intensity Research Articles

Preparation, characterization and luminescence properties of a novel 1,10-phenanthroline-functionalized polyimide and its europium(III) complexes

A novel 1,10-phenanthroline-functionalized polyimide (CMPI-Phen) was prepared as polymer matrix by the nucleophilic substitution reaction between chloromethylated polyimide (CMPI) and 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline (NH2-Phen). Then, two kinds of luminescent materials of 1,10-phenanthroline-functionalized polyimide containing Eu(III) complexes, were obtained by two different methods. Their structures and properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), luminescence spectrometry, and luminescence decay analysis. Investigations revealed that both the CMPI-Phen-Eu(III) and CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3 display highly efficient red emissions, suggesting their potential application as luminescent materials. However, compared with CMPI-Phen-Eu(III), CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3, where TTA stands for thenoyltrifluoroacetone, exhibits more excellent and stable fluorescence intensity and longer luminescence lifetime (134.30 μs). The weight-average molecular weights of CMPI-Phen-Eu(III) and CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3 are 2.40×104 and 3.11×104, respectively. The Eu contents of CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3 and CMPI-Phen-Eu(III) were measured by ICP to be 7.00% and 5.92%, respectively. TGA demonstrated that both CMPI-Phen-Eu(III) and CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3 have high thermal stability and their 5% loss weight temperatures were 356 and 280 °C, respectively. Moreover, both CMPI-Phen-Eu(III) and CMPI-Phen-Eu(TTA)3 were soluble in polar solvents such as dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) under heating conditions, and could be easily cast into tough thin films. Open image in new window

Fluorescently labeled degradable thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers: Visual evaluation for the degradation behavior

ABSTRACTThermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU) were synthesized with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as the rigid segment, poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA) diol as soft segment, and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) as the chain extender. During the chain extension process, three kinds of fluorescent monomers 4‐(2‐hydroxyethylamino)−1,8‐naphthoyl‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)imide (HNHI), 1,5‐dihydroxy naphthalene (DHN), and dicoumarin (DIC) were introduced to get the fluorescently labeled degradable TPUs. The structure and degradation properties of the TPUs were characterized in detail. The results showed that there was no significant effect found on average molecular weight, mechanical properties, and glass transition temperature of polyurethane by introducing 0.001% (wt) weight percent of fluorescence monomers. The degradation behavior of fluorescent‐tagged thermoplastic elastomer has been characterized with fluorescence microscopy. Results showed that polyurethane elastomers, in which fluorescence monomers especially HNHI were introduced by chemical reaction, had more homogeneous and stable fluorescence intensity than that with fluorescence monomers introduced by post blending. This work also provides a promising visual characterization approach to monitor degradation behavior of degradable TPUs for tissue engineering applications or drug delivery system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42519.

IR-780 dye loaded tumor targeting theranostic nanoparticles for NIR imaging and photothermal therapy

IR-780 iodide is a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence dye with higher and more stable fluorescence intensity than clinically applied dye indocyanine green (ICG). Meanwhile, IR-780 can be utilized in photothermal therapy with laser irradiation. IR-780 is an important theranostic agent but its lipophilicity limited its application. In this paper, we synthesize multifunctional heparin–folic acid-IR-780 nanoparticles (HF-IR-780 NPs) by self-assembly of the heparin–folic acid conjugate and IR-780 through ultrasonic sound method. The HF-IR-780 NPs exhibit good monodispersity, significant stability, and excellent molecular targeting to folate receptor over-expressing MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the in vivo biodistribution experiments show that the HF-IR-780 NPs are specifically targeted to the tumor and can be used for tumor imaging. The in vitro cell viability assays and in vivo photothermal therapy experiments indicate that MCF-7 cells or MCF-7 xenograft tumors could be ablated by combining HF-IR-780 NPs with irradiation of an 808 nm laser. The photothermal therapy in vivo with a single-dose treatment has not caused significant adverse effect. The resulted HF-IR-780 NPs are a potential theranostic agent for imaging-guided cancer therapy.

Fluorescent nano particle application for a membrane surface integrity test: Sensitivity, stability, and reliability of the particles

In this research, silica-based fluorescent particles were synthesized and used as a surrogate detector to evaluate the integrity of a compromised flat sheet membrane. Three different sizes of particles were synthesized and dyed with a fluorescent dye to make a fluorescence image under a UV light. Experiments were designed to test the sensitivity of the detection limit, stability of particles, and reliability of the proposed method. UV spectrometer and image analysis were used to evaluate the detection limits and measure the concentration and mass of the particles in the feed and permeate. For the stability of the particles, dye-leakage tests were conducted to estimate the amount of fluorescent decay when fluorescent particles were dissolved in an aqueous solvent. The effect of the particles on the membrane fouling was also investigated by conducting a batch filtration test of undamaged membranes. To examine the reliability of the proposed method, a series of filtration tests were performed with the damaged membranes by applying the fluorescent particles as a surrogate. As a result, the image analysis could detect the maximum mass of particles of 5 mg. The particles showed the stable fluorescence intensity within 24 h after being dissolved into 100% ethanol solution. In considering the pore size in the membrane, the particles with a size of about three times larger than the membrane pores were the most compatible surrogate for the integrity test to prevent the undesirable affect of having the membrane fouling. Finally, the size of breach on the membrane surface could be predicted, possibly from the image analysis of the permeate containing the fluorescent particles outflow from a damaged part of the membrane surface.

Optimization of staining conditions for microalgae with three lipophilic dyes to reduce precipitation and fluorescence variability

When the fluorescence signal of a dye is being quantified, the staining protocol is an important factor in ensuring accuracy and reproducibility. Increasingly, lipophilic dyes are being used to quantify cellular lipids in microalgae. However, there is little discussion about the sensitivity of these dyes to staining conditions. To address this, microalgae were stained with either the lipophilic dyes often used for lipid quantification (Nile Red and BODIPY) or a lipophilic dye commonly used to stain neuronal cell membranes (DiO), and fluorescence was measured using flow cytometry. The concentration of the cells being stained was found not to affect the fluorescence. Conversely, the concentration of dye significantly affected the fluorescence intensity from either insufficient saturation of the cellular lipids or formation of dye precipitate. Precipitates of all three dyes were detected as events by flow cytometry and fluoresced at a similar intensity as the chlorophyll in the microalgae. Prevention of precipitate formation is, therefore, critical to ensure accurate fluorescence measurement with these dyes. It was also observed that the presence of organic solvents, such as acetone and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were not required to increase penetration of the dyes into cells and that the presence of these solvents resulted in increased cellular debris. Thus, staining conditions affected the fluorescence of all three lipophilic dyes, but Nile Red was found to have a stable fluorescence intensity that was unaffected by the broadest range of conditions and could be correlated to cellular lipid content.

Application of CdTe Quantum Dots to Development Fingerprints on Adhesive Surfaces

Water-soluble fluorescent CdTe quantum dots were synthesized using TGA (Thiolglycolic acid) as the stabilizer and characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy. This fluorescent material was applied to development fingerprints deposited on the sticky side of adhesives. The development conditions such as development time, temperature and pH value of QDs solution were investigated. The comparison experimental with traditional methods and development rate were also studied. The results show that this material exhibited strong visible fluorescence under excitation at 365 nm. CdTe QDs can detect fingerprints on different adhesive surfaces. In addition, the development rate of fingerprints on the adhesive side of cellulose tape was discussed and the effective development rate for 30-days-aged fingerprints can reach to 72%. Furthermore, the developed fingerprints have higher and stable fluorescence intensity, weaker background interference and better contrast between fingerprints and the substrate. CdTe QDs is a promising reagent for fingerprints development on adhesive surfaces.

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of europium–polymer complexes containing 1,10-phenanthroline

In this paper, 5-acrylamido-1,10-phenanthroline (AP) was synthesized, then the luminescence material containing Eu–polymer complexes were obtained by two methods. The polymer structure and properties were characterized by FT-IR, UV, fluorescence spectra, DSC, GPC, ICP and XRD. Compared with the two methods the rare earth ions-containing polymers, we obtained copolymer B by the second one that had high and stable fluorescence intensity with the Eu content 0.31%. Comparing the two results via different methods, we have set down the useful basement for the study of the luminescence material containing Eu–polymer complexes.

Changes in fluorescence intensity of selected leukocyte surface markers following fixation

Immunophenotyping of blood leukocytes often involves fixation with paraformaldehyde prior to cytometry analysis. However, the influence of cell type and marker specificity on the stability of fluorescence intensity after fixation has not been well studied. Human whole blood was stained using a panel of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled antibodies to surface markers. Unfixed and fixed samples were analyzed by flow cytometry at 0, 2, 4, 6, 24, 48, and 96 h after staining. Fluorescence measurements were converted to molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome for comparison. Fixation caused a significant decrease in both forward and side scatter at 48 h which required gating adjustments to achieve resolution of cell populations. The autofluorescence increased progressively in fixed samples (ninefold at 96 h for monocytes). Variable decreases in marker-associated fluorescence became apparent after correction for autofluorescence. The magnitude of the decrease at 96 h varied with cell type and marker, from 5% for CD32 on monocytes to 39% for CD16 on neutrophils. The change in fluorescence intensity following staining and fixation of leukocytes varies with cell type and surface marker. Fluorescence stability should be determined for each cell type and marker used, and the confounding effects of fixation on cell autofluorescence should be considered.

Development of fluorescent materials for Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography standards and phantoms

The availability of fluorescence standards is necessary in the development of systems and methods for fluorescence imaging. In this study, two approaches for developing diffuse fluorescence materials to be used as standards or phantoms in diffuse fluorescent tomography applications were investigated. Specifically, silicone rubber and polyester casting resin were used as base materials, and silicone pigments or TiO(2) / India Ink were added respectively to vary the optical properties. Characterization of the optical properties achieved was performed using time-resolved methods. Subsequently, different near-infrared fluorochromes were examined for imparting controlled and stable fluorescence properties. It was determined that hydrophobic fluorophores (IR 676 and IR 780 Iodide) suspended in dichloromethane and hydrophilic fluorophores (Cy5.5 and AF 750) suspended in methanol produced diffusive silicone and resin fluorescent materials, respectively. However only the hydrophobic fluorophores embedded within silicone resulted in the construction of a material with the characteristics of a standard, i.e. stability of fluorescence intensity with time and a linear dependence of normalized fluorescence intensity to fluorophore concentration.

Investigation of factors affecting the accuracy and sensitivity of the fluorometric determination of uranium

The factors affecting the accuracy and sensitivity of the fluorimetric uranium determination have been investigated. Investigations have been made on the influence of melt-bead composition and quantity, period and temperature of heating, and conditions of cooling on the intensity of fluorescence produced and on the stability of fluorescence intensity with time. The optimum parameters have been found to be as follows. Basic bead material: 50 mg of a mixture of 30% of NaF and 70% of NaKCO3; heating temperature 650° C in an electric oven, period 10 minutes, followed by slow cooling in the switched-off oven; after 2.5 hours the sample is removed from the oven (at about 280° C) and analysed in the next 2 hours. The preparation will exhibit roughly the same fluorescence within the next 24 hours, followed by a slow decrease in fluorescence. The measuring accuracy of the photo-multiplier fluorimeter has been improved by means of a filter of 1% tartrazine solution.