Nanoparticle-induced fluorescence lifetime modification as nanoscopic ruler: demonstration at the single molecule level

Au nanodyes as enhanced contrast agents in wide field near infrared fluorescence lifetime imaging

The near-infrared (NIR) range of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum offers a nearly transparent window for imaging tissue. Despite the significant potential of NIR fluorescence-based imaging, its establishment in basic research and clinical applications remains limited due to the scarcity of fluorescent molecules with absorption and emission properties in the NIR region, especially those suitable for biological applications. In this study, we present a novel approach by combining the widely used IRdye 800NHS fluorophore with gold nanospheres (GNSs) and gold nanorods (GNRs) to create Au nanodyes, with improved quantum yield (QY) and distinct lifetimes. These nanodyes exhibit varying photophysical properties due to the differences in the separation distance between the dye and the gold nanoparticles (GNP). Leveraging a rapid and highly sensitive wide-field fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLI) macroscopic set up, along with phasor based analysis, we introduce multiplexing capabilities for the Au nanodyes. Our approach showcases the ability to differentiate between NIR dyes with very similar, short lifetimes within a single image, using the combination of Au nanodyes and wide-field FLI. Furthermore, we demonstrate the uptake of Au nanodyes by mineral-oil induced plasmacytomas (MOPC315.bm) cells, indicating their potential for in vitro and in vivo applications.

Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-Based Determination of Fractional Contributions from Mixed Fluorophores using Fluorescence Lifetime Measurements

Here we present an artificial neural network (ANN)-approach to determine the fractional contributions Pi from fluorophores to a multi-exponential fluorescence decay in time-resolved lifetime measurements. Conventionally, Pi are determined by extracting two parameters (amplitude and lifetime) for each underlying mono-exponential decay using non-linear fitting. However, in this case parameter estimation is highly sensitive to initial guesses and weighting. In contrast, the ANN-based approach robustly gives the Pi without knowledge of amplitudes and lifetimes. By experimental measurements and Monte-Carlo simulations, we comprehensively show that accuracy and precision of Pi determination with ANNs and hence the number of distinguishable fluorophores depend on the fluorescence lifetimes' differences. For mixtures of up to five fluorophores, we determined the minimum uniform spacing Δτmin between lifetimes to obtain fractional contributions with a standard deviation of 5%. In example, five lifetimes can be distinguished with a respective minimum uniform spacing of approx. 10 ns even when the fluorophores' emission spectra are overlapping. This study underlines the enormous potential of ANN-based analysis for multi-fluorophore applications in fluorescence lifetime measurements.

Nanotechnology in the Treatment of Diabetic Complications: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

In today's society, the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and its subsequent complications have brought trouble to human beings. Complications caused by diabetes bring not only physical and mental pain to patients but also a heavy economic burden to families. And once diabetic complications occur, they are often irreversible and very difficult. At present, some studies suggest that nanotechnology can treat some diabetic complications. This paper reviews the application of nanotechnology in the repair of diabetic segmental bone injury, the healing of diabetic skin ulcers, the therapeutic effect, and improvement strategies and deficiencies of nanotechnology in diabetic complications.

Au nanostar nanoparticle as a bio-imaging agent and its detection and visualization in biosystems

In the present work, we report the imaging of Au nanostars nanoparticles (AuNSt) and their multifunctional applications in biomedical research and theranostics applications. Their optical and spectroscopic properties are considered for the multimodal imaging purpose. The AuNSt are prepared by the seed-meditated method and characterized for use as an agent for bio-imaging. To demonstrate imaging with AuNSt, penetration and localization in different biological models such as cancer cell culture (A549 lung carcinoma cell), 3D tissue model (multicellular tumor spheroid on the base of human oral squamous carcinoma cell, SAS) and murine skin tissue are studied. AuNSt were visualized using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) at two-photon excitation with a pulse duration 140 fs, repetition rate 80 MHz and 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser. Strong emission of AuNSt at two-photon excitation in the near infrared range and fluorescence lifetime less than 0.5 ns were observed. It allows using AuNSt as a fluorescent marker at two-photon fluorescence microscopy and lifetime imaging (FLIM). It was shown that AuNSt can be observed inside a thick sample (tissue and its model). This is the first demonstration using AuNSt as an imaging agent for FLIM at two-photon excitation in biosystems. Increased scattering of near-infrared light upon excitation of AuNSt surface plasmon oscillation was also observed and rendered using a possible contrast agent for optical coherence tomography (OCT). AuNSt detection in a biological system using FLIM is compared with OCT on the model of AuNSt penetrating into animal skin. The AuNSt application for multimodal imaging is discussed.

Strong plasmonic fluorescence enhancement of individual plant light-harvesting complexes

Plasmonic coupling of metallic nanoparticles and adjacent pigments can dramatically increase the brightness of the pigments due to the enhanced local electric field. Here, we demonstrate that the fluorescence brightness of a single plant light-harvesting complex (LHCII) can be significantly enhanced when coupled to a gold nanorod (AuNR). The AuNRs utilized in this study were prepared via chemical reactions, and the hybrid system was constructed using a simple and economical spin-assisted layer-by-layer technique. Enhancement of fluorescence brightness of up to 240-fold was observed, accompanied by a 109-fold decrease in the average (amplitude-weighted) fluorescence lifetime from approximately 3.5 ns down to 32 ps, corresponding to an excitation enhancement of 63-fold and emission enhancement of up to 3.8-fold. This large enhancement is due to the strong spectral overlap of the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance of the utilized AuNRs and the absorption or emission bands of LHCII. This study provides an inexpensive strategy to explore the fluorescence dynamics of weakly emitting photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes at the single molecule level.

Calibrating Evanescent-Wave Penetration Depths for Biological TIRF Microscopy

Roughly half of a cell's proteins are located at or near the plasma membrane. In this restricted space, the cell senses its environment, signals to its neighbors, and exchanges cargo through exo- and endocytotic mechanisms. Ligands bind to receptors, ions flow across channel pores, and transmitters and metabolites are transported against concentration gradients. Receptors, ion channels, pumps, and transporters are the molecular substrates of these biological processes, and they constitute important targets for drug discovery. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy suppresses the background from the cell's deeper layers and provides contrast for selectively imaging dynamic processes near the basal membrane of live cells. The optical sectioning of TIRF is based on the excitation confinement of the evanescent wave generated at the glass/cell interface. How deep the excitation light actually penetrates the sample is difficult to know, making the quantitative interpretation of TIRF data problematic. Nevertheless, many applications like superresolution microscopy, colocalization, Förster resonance energy transfer, near-membrane fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, uncaging or photoactivation/switching as well as single-particle tracking require the quantitative interpretation of evanescent-wave-excited images. Here, we review existing techniques for characterizing evanescent fields, and we provide a roadmap for comparing TIRF data across images, experiments, and laboratories.

Tip-enhanced strong coupling spectroscopy, imaging, and control of a single quantum emitter

Optical cavities can enhance and control light-matter interactions. This level of control has recently been extended to the nanoscale with single emitter strong coupling even at room temperature using plasmonic nanostructures. However, emitters in static geometries, limit the ability to tune the coupling strength or to couple different emitters to the same cavity. Here, we present tip-enhanced strong coupling (TESC) with a nanocavity formed between a scanning plasmonic antenna tip and the substrate. By reversibly and dynamically addressing single quantum dots, we observe mode splitting up to 160 meV and anticrossing over a detuning range of ~100 meV, and with subnanometer precision over the deep subdiffraction-limited mode volume. Thus, TESC enables previously inaccessible control over emitter-nanocavity coupling and mode volume based on near-field microscopy. This opens pathways to induce, probe, and control single-emitter plasmon hybrid quantum states for applications from optoelectronics to quantum information science at room temperature.

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals in energy transfer reactions

Excitonic energy transfer is a versatile mechanism by which colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals can interact with a variety of nanoscale species. This feature article will discuss the latest research on the key scenarios under which semiconductor nanocrystals can engage in energy transfer with other nanoparticles, organic fluorophores, and plasmonic nanostructures, highlighting potential technological benefits to be gained from such processes.

Quantifying Microsecond Transition Times Using Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy

Many complex luminescent emitters such as fluorescent proteins exhibit multiple emitting states that result in rapid fluctuations of their excited-state lifetime. Here, we apply fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy (FLCS) to resolve the photophysical state dynamics of the prototypical fluorescence protein enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). We quantify the microsecond transition rates between its two fluorescent states, which have otherwise highly overlapping emission spectra. We relate these transitions to a room-temperature angstrom-scale rotational isomerism of an amino acid next to its fluorescent center. With this study, we demonstrate the power of FLCS for studying the rapid transition dynamics of a broad range of light-emitting systems with complex multistate photophysics, which cannot be easily done by other methods.

Levitated Plasmonic Nanoantennas in an Aqueous Environment

We report on the manipulation of a plasmonic nanoantenna in an aqueous solution using an electrostatic trap created between a glass nanopipette and a substrate. By scanning a trapped gold nanosphere in the near field of a single colloidal quantum dot embedded under the substrate surface, we demonstrate about 8-fold fluorescence enhancement over a lateral full width at half-maximum of about 45 nm. We analyze our results with the predictions of numerical electromagnetic simulations under consideration of the electrostatic free energy in the trap. Our approach could find applications in a number of experiments, where plasmonic effects are employed at liquid-solid interfaces.

DNA-Endonuclease Complex Dynamics by Simultaneous FRET and Fluorophore Intensity in Evanescent Field

The single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful tool to study interactions and conformational changes of biological molecules in the distance range from a few to 10 nm. In this study, we demonstrate a method to augment this range with longer distances. The method is based on the intensity changes of a tethered fluorophore, diffusing in the exponentially decaying evanescent excitation field. In combination with FRET it allowed us to reveal and characterize the dynamics of what had been inaccessible conformations of the DNA-protein complex. Our model system, restriction enzyme Ecl18kI, interacts with a FRET pair-labeled DNA fragment to form two different DNA loop conformations. The DNA-protein interaction geometry is such that the efficient FRET is expected for one of these conformations-"antiparallel" loop. In the alternative "parallel" loop, the expected distance between the dyes is outside the range accessible by FRET. Therefore, "antiparallel" looping is observed in a single-molecule time trajectory as discrete transitions to a state of high FRET efficiency. At the same time, transitions to a high-intensity state of the directly excited acceptor fluorophore on a DNA tether are due to a change of its average position in the evanescent field of excitation and can be associated with a loop of either "parallel" or "antiparallel" configuration. Simultaneous analysis of FRET and acceptor intensity trajectories then allows us to discriminate different DNA loop conformations and access the average lifetimes of different states.

Single-Photon Nanoantennas

Single-photon nanoantennas are broadband strongly scattering nanostructures placed in the near field of a single quantum emitter, with the goal to enhance the coupling between the emitter and far-field radiation channels. Recently, great strides have been made in the use of nanoantennas to realize fluorescence brightness enhancements, and Purcell enhancements, of several orders of magnitude. This perspective reviews the key figures of merit by which single-photon nanoantenna performance is quantified and the recent advances in measuring these metrics unambiguously. Next, this perspective discusses what the state of the art is in terms of fluoresent brightness enhancements, Purcell factors, and directivity control on the level of single photons. Finally, I discuss future challenges for single-photon nanoantennas.

Strong plasmonic enhancement of biexciton emission: controlled coupling of a single quantum dot to a gold nanocone antenna

Multiexcitonic transitions and emission of several photons per excitation comprise a very attractive feature of semiconductor quantum dots for optoelectronics applications. However, these higher-order radiative processes are usually quenched in colloidal quantum dots by Auger and other nonradiative decay channels. To increase the multiexcitonic quantum efficiency, several groups have explored plasmonic enhancement, so far with moderate results. By controlled positioning of individual quantum dots in the near field of gold nanocone antennas, we enhance the radiative decay rates of monoexcitons and biexcitons by 109 and 100 folds at quantum efficiencies of 60 and 70%, respectively, in very good agreement with the outcome of numerical calculations. We discuss the implications of our work for future fundamental and applied research in nano-optics.

Tissue-Like Phantoms as a Platform for Inserted Fluorescence Nano-Probes

Tissue-like phantoms are widely used as a model for mimicking the optical properties of live tissue. This paper presents the results of a diffusion reflection method and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy measurements of fluorescein-conjugated gold nanorods in solution, as well as inserted in solid tissue-imitating phantoms. A lack of consistency between the fluorescence lifetime results of the solutions and the phantoms raises a question about the ability of tissue-like phantoms to maintain the optical properties of inserted contrast agents.

Nanoscopic optical rulers beyond the FRET distance limit: fundamentals and applications

In the last few decades, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based spectroscopy rulers have served as a key tool for the understanding of chemical and biochemical processes, even at the single molecule level. Since the FRET process originates from dipole-dipole interactions, the length scale of a FRET ruler is limited to a maximum of 10 nm. Recently, scientists have reported a nanomaterial based long-range optical ruler, where one can overcome the FRET optical ruler distance dependence limit, and which can be very useful for monitoring biological processes that occur across a greater distance than the 10 nm scale. Advancement of nanoscopic long range optical rulers in the last ten years indicate that, in addition to their long-range capability, their brightness, long lifetime, lack of blinking, and chemical stability make nanoparticle based rulers a good choice for long range optical probes. The current review discusses the basic concepts and unique light-focusing properties of plasmonic nanoparticles which are useful in the development of long range one dimensional to three dimensional optical rulers. In addition, to provide the readers with an overview of the exciting opportunities within this field, this review discusses the applications of long range rulers for monitoring biological and chemical processes. At the end, we conclude by speculating on the role of long range optical rulers in future scientific research and discuss possible problems, outlooks and future needs in the use of optical rulers for technological applications.

Light-Harvesting Nanoparticle Core-Shell Clusters with Controllable Optical Output

We used DNA self-assembly methods to fabricate a series of core-shell gold nanoparticle-DNA-colloidal quantum dot (AuNP-DNA-Qdot) nanoclusters with satellite-like architecture to modulate optical (photoluminescence) response. By varying the intercomponent distance through the DNA linker length designs, we demonstrate precise tuning of the plasmon-exciton interaction and the optical behavior of the nanoclusters from regimes characterized by photoluminescence quenching to photoluminescence enhancement. The combination of detailed X-ray scattering probing with photoluminescence intensity and lifetime studies revealed the relation between the cluster structure and its optical output. Compared to conventional light-harvesting systems like conjugated polymers and multichromophoric dendrimers, the proposed nanoclusters bring enhanced flexibility in controlling the optical behavior toward a desired application, and they can be regarded as controllable optical switches via the optically pumped color.

Relaxation dynamics of a quantum emitter resonantly coupled to a coherent state of a localized surface plasmon

We investigate the relaxation dynamics of a quantum dipole emitter (QDE), e.g., a molecule or quantum dot, located near a metal nanoparticle (MNP) exhibiting a dipolar localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance at the frequency of the QDE radiative transition. A generic three-level QDE, which is pumped with an external laser pulse and thereby brought into an optically active excited state, is considered to be weakly coupled to the resonant LSP described by a coherent state. It is shown that, under the condition of the QDE-MNP characteristic relaxation time being much shorter than that of the QDE in free space but much longer than the LSP lifetime, the QDE relaxation dynamics can be described analytically and feature, in general, non-exponential decay with complicated transient behaviour. The main physical consequence of this relaxation process is that the emission, being largely determined by the MNP, comes out with a substantial delay. It is also shown that energy dissipation in the QDE-MNP system is relatively weak with the probability of the photon emission being ∼0.75, a number which, rather surprisingly, does not explicitly depend on the metal absorption characteristics. A large number of QDE-MNP system parameters in our analytical description open new possibilities for controlling quantum emitter dynamics.

Battling absorptive losses by plasmon–exciton coupling in multimeric nanostructures

This study presents a novel approach dealing with absorptive losses in plasmonic metamaterials, capitalizing on field enhancement effect in multimeric nanostructures.

Quantum yield and excitation rate of single molecules close to metallic nanostructures

The interaction of dyes and metallic nanostructures strongly affects the fluorescence and can lead to significant fluorescence enhancement at plasmonic hot spots, but also to quenching. Here we present a method to distinguish the individual contributions to the changes of the excitation, radiative and non-radiative rate and use this information to determine the quantum yields for single molecules. The method is validated by precisely placing single fluorescent dyes with respect to gold nanoparticles as well as with respect to the excitation polarization using DNA origami nanostructures. Following validation, measurements in zeromode waveguides reveal that suppression of the radiative rate and enhancement of the non-radiative rate lead to a reduced quantum yield. Because the method exploits the intrinsic blinking of dyes, it can generally be applied to fluorescence measurements in arbitrary nanophotonic environments.

Relaxation dynamics of a quantum emitter resonantly coupled to a metal nanoparticle

The presence of a metal nanoparticle (MNP) near a quantum dipole emitter, when a localized surface plasmon mode is excited via the resonant coupling with an excited quantum dipole, dramatically changes the relaxation dynamics: an exponential decay changes to step-like behavior. The main physical consequence of this relaxation process is that the emission, being largely determined by the MNP, comes out with a substantial delay. A large number of system parameters in our analytical description opens new possibilities for controlling quantum emitter dynamics.

Selective excitation of single molecules coupled to the bright mode of a plasmonic cavity

Plasmon-based optical antennas featuring a nanometer-sized gap can enhance the photophysical properties of solid-state quantum emitters by several orders of magnitude at room temperature. However, controlling the position and orientation of an isolated emitter in a metallic resonator, at the nanometer scale, has only been achieved in scanning probe geometries. Using radially polarized cylindrical vector beams and DNA-assembled gold nanoparticle dimers, we demonstrate the reproducible interaction of single dye molecules with the bright longitudinal mode of a plasmonic cavity, achieving decay rate enhancements of 2 orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that interfacing efficiently isolated quantum emitters and optical nanoantennas is possible on a large scale.

Modulation of molecular hybridization and charge screening in a carbon nanotube network channel using the electrical pulse method

In this paper, we investigate the effect of electrical pulse bias on DNA hybridization events in a biosensor platform, using a Carbon Nanotube Network (CNN) and Gold Nano Particles (GNP) as an electrical channel. The scheme provides both hybridization rate enhancement of bio molecules, and electrical measurement in a transient state to avoid the charge screening effect, thereby significantly improving the sensitivity. As an example, the probe DNA molecules oscillate with pulse trains, resulting in the enhancement of DNA hybridization efficiency, and accordingly of the sensor performances in Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer solution, by as much as over three times, compared to the non-biasing conditions. More importantly, a wide dynamic range of 10(6) (target-DNA concentration from 5 pM to 5 μM) is achieved in human serum. In addition, the pulse biasing method enables one to obtain the conductance change, before the ions within the Electrical Double Layer (EDL) are redistributed, to avoid the charge screening effect, leading to an additional sensitivity enhancement.

Distance and wavelength dependent quenching of molecular fluorescence by Au@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles and nearby fluorophores interact via electromagnetic coupling upon light excitation. We determine the distance and wavelength dependence of this coupling theoretically and experimentally via steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. For the first time, the fluorescence quenching of four different dye molecules, which absorb light at different wavelengths across the visible spectrum and into the near-infrared, is studied using a rigid silica shell as a spacer. A comprehensive experimental determination of the distance dependence from complete quenching to no coupling is carried out by a systematic variation of the silica shell thickness. Electrodynamic theory predicts the observed quenching quantitatively in terms of energy transfer from the molecular emitter to the gold nanoparticle. The plasmonic field enhancement in the vicinity of the 13 nm gold nanoparticles is calculated as a function of distance and excitation wavelength and is included in all calculations. Relative radiative and energy transfer rates are determined experimentally and are in good agreement with calculated rates. We demonstrate and quantify the severe effect of dye-dye interactions on the fluorescence properties of dyes attached to the surface of a silica nanoparticle in control experiments. This allows us to determine the experimental conditions, under which dye-dye interactions do not affect the experimental results.

Long-range plasmophore rulers

Using on-wire lithography, we studied the emission properties of nanostructures made of a polythiophene disk separated by fixed nanoscopic distances from a plasmonic gold nanorod. The intense plasmonic field generated by the nanorod modifies the shape of the polythiophene emission spectrum, and the strong distance dependence of this modulation forms the basis for a new type of "plasmophore ruler". Simulations using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) quantitatively support our experimental results. Importantly, this plasmophore ruler is independent of signal intensity and is effective up to 100 nm, which is more than two times larger than any reported value for rulers based on photoluminescence processes.

Spatial coherence in complex photonic and plasmonic systems

The concept of cross density of states characterizes the intrinsic spatial coherence of complex photonic or plasmonic systems, independently of the illumination conditions. Using this tool and the associated intrinsic coherence length, we demonstrate unambiguously the spatial squeezing of eigenmodes on disordered fractal metallic films, thus clarifying a basic issue in plasmonics.

Super-resolution mapping of reactive sites on titania-based nanoparticles with water-soluble fluorogenic probes

Interfacial charge transfer at the heterogeneous surface of semiconductor nanoparticles is a fundamental process that is relevant to many important applications, such as photocatalysis, solar cells, and sensors. In this study, we developed new water-soluble fluorogenic probes for interfacial electron transfer reactions on semiconductor nanoparticles. The synthesized boron-dipyrromethene-based fluorescence dyes have one or two sulfonate groups, which confer solubility in aqueous media, and a dinitrophenyl group as a redox reaction site. These probes produce the corresponding fluorescent products via multiple interfacial electron transfer processes, allowing us to investigate the photoinduced redox reactions over individual pristine and Au-nanoparticle-deposited TiO(2) nanoparticles at the single-particle, single-molecule levels. The minimum probe concentration to detect single-product molecules on a single TiO(2) nanoparticle was found to be in the nanomolar range (<10 nM) in acidic solution. Furthermore, super-resolution mapping of the reaction sites revealed that visible-light-induced reduction reactions preferentially occurred on the TiO(2) surface within a distance of a few tens of nanometers around the deposited Au nanoparticles. This result was qualitatively interpreted on the basis of plasmon-induced electron and/or energy transfer mechanisms. Overall, this study provides a great deal of valuable information related to solar-energy-conversion processes that is impossible or difficult to obtain from ensemble-averaged experiments.

Probing the quenching of CdSe/ZnS qdots by Au, Au/Ag, and Au/Pd nanoparticles

The resonance energy transfer between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (qdots) and three metallic nanoparticles (NPs) with different surface plasmon resonance (SPR) characteristics were studied. Gold, gold/silver and gold/palladium NPs were used as energy acceptors for qdots with donor emission at 570 nm. Due to the different spectral overlaps between the SPR signatures and qdot emission, varied energy transfer characteristics were observed. The energy transfer was quantified via the Stern-Volmer relationship, since in this study the energy transfer was collision based. The Au/Ag and Au/Pd NPs in particular showed high K(SV) values, while the Au NPs showed much lower energy transfer efficiency. Since the NPs used in this study were relatively large (d ~ 15-20 nm), the experimental system was also influenced by the NP extinction coefficients of ≈10(8) M(-1) cm(-1). To address this potential inner filter effect, the quenching profiles were normalized by SPR transmittance. The results are important to the field, as many of these classes of nanomaterials are being employed in energy transfer based studies, as well as in colorimetric sensing.

Advances in quantitative FRET-based methods for studying nucleic acids

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful tool for monitoring molecular distances and interactions at the nanoscale level. The strong dependence of transfer efficiency on probe separation makes FRET perfectly suited for "on/off" experiments. To use FRET to obtain quantitative distances and three-dimensional structures, however, is more challenging. This review summarises recent studies and technological advances that have improved FRET as a quantitative molecular ruler in nucleic acid systems, both at the ensemble and at the single-molecule levels.

Shedding Light on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Hot Spots through Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Imaging

Super-resolution imaging has recently been utilized to develop a better understanding of the properties of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) hot spots. SERS hot spots are much smaller than the diffraction limit of light, and therefore, obtaining a clear picture of the enhanced electromagnetic (EM) fields comprising these hot spots is a challenging task. In this Perspective, we discuss recent work applying super-resolution imaging to single-molecule SERS (SM-SERS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed to randomly assembled silver colloidal aggregates, allowing the shape, size, and local enhancement of the hot spots to be imaged with <5 nm resolution. The results are compared with studies applying super-resolution imaging to surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) of analytes diffusing into silver nanoparticle hot spots. Both studies show a strong correlation between emission intensity and position, allowing the EM field enhancements of SERS hot spots to be mapped with sub-5 nm resolution.

Development of a long-range surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy ruler

Optical-ruler-based distance measurements are essential for tracking biomolecular processes in a wide range of analytical biochemical applications. The normally used Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) ruler is not useful for investigating distance-dependent properties when distances are more than 10 nm. Driven by this limitation, we have developed a long-range surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) optical ruler using oval-shaped gold nanoparticles and Rh6G dye-modified rigid, variable-length double-strand DNAs. The bifunctional rigid dsDNA molecule serves as the SERS-active ruler. Our experimental results show that one can tune the length of the SERS ruler between 8 and ∼18 nm by choosing the size of the oval-shaped gold nanoparticles. A possible mechanism for our observed distance-dependent SERS phenomenon is discussed using the Gersten and Nitzan model. Ultimately, our long-range SERS molecular rulers can be an important step toward understanding distance-dependent biological processes.

Exploiting the light–metal interaction for biomolecular sensing and imaging

The ability of metal surfaces and nanostructures to localize and enhance optical fields is the primary reason for their application in biosensing and imaging. Local field enhancement boosts the signal-to-noise ratio in measurements and provides the possibility of imaging with resolutions significantly better than the diffraction limit. In fluorescence imaging, local field enhancement leads to improved brightness of molecular emission and to higher detection sensitivity and better discrimination. We review the principles of plasmonic fluorescence enhancement and discuss applications ranging from biosensing to bioimaging.

Distance dependence of single-fluorophore quenching by gold nanoparticles studied on DNA origami

We study the distance-dependent quenching of fluorescence due to a metallic nanoparticle in proximity of a fluorophore. In our single-molecule measurements, we achieve excellent control over structure and stoichiometry by using self-assembled DNA structures (DNA origami) as a breadboard where both the fluorophore and the 10 nm metallic nanoparticle are positioned with nanometer precision. The single-molecule spectroscopy method employed here reports on the co-localization of particle and dye, while fluorescence lifetime imaging is used to directly obtain the correlation of intensity and fluorescence lifetime for varying particle to dye distances. Our data can be well explained by exact calculations that include dipole-dipole orientation and distances. Fitting with a more practical model for nanosurface energy transfer yields 10.4 nm as the characteristic distance of 50% energy transfer. The use of DNA nanotechnology together with minimal sample usage by attaching the particles to the DNA origami directly on the microscope coverslip paves the way for more complex experiments exploiting dye-nanoparticle interactions.

Effect of nanoparticle dimensionality on fluorescence resonance energy transfer in nanoparticle-dye conjugated systems

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) involving a semiconductor nanoparticle (NP) acting as a donor, attached to multiple acceptors, is becoming a common tool for sensing, biolabeling, and energy transfer applications. Such nanosystems, with dimensions that are in the range of FRET interactions, exhibit unique characteristics that are related to the shape and dimensionality of the particles and to the spatial distribution of the acceptors. Understanding the effect of these parameters is of high importance for describing the FRET process in such systems and for utilizing them for different applications. In order to demonstrate these dimensionality effects, the FRET between CdSe/CdS core/shell NPs with different geometries and dimensionalities and Atto 590 dye molecules acting as multiple acceptors covalently linked to the NP surface is examined. Steady-state emission and temporal decay measurements were performed on the NPs, ranging from spherical to rod-like shaped systems, as a function of acceptor concentration. Changes in the NP geometry, and consequently in the distributions of acceptors, lead to distinctively different FRET behaviors. The results are analyzed using a modified restricted geometries model, which captures the dimensionality of the acceptor distribution and allows extracting the concentration of dye molecules on the surface of the NP for both spherical and elongated NPs. The results obtained from the model are in good agreement with the experimental results. The approach may be useful for following the spatial dynamics of self-assembly and for a wide variety of sensing applications.

Gold-decorated block copolymer microspheres with controlled surface nanostructures

Gold-decorated block copolymer microspheres (BCP-microspheres) displaying various surface morphologies were prepared by the infiltration of Au precursors into polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) microspheres. The microspheres were fabricated by emulsifying the PS-b-P4VP polymers in chloroform into a surfactant solution in water, followed by the evaporation of chloroform. The selective swelling of the P4VP domains in the microspheres by the Au precursor under acidic conditions resulted in the formation of Au-decorated BCP-microspheres with various surface nanostructures. As evidenced by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, dotted surface patterns were formed when microspheres smaller than 800 nm were synthesized, whereas fingerprint-like surface patterns were observed with microspheres larger than 800 nm. Au nanoparticles (NPs) were located inside P4VP domains near the surfaces of the prepared microspheres, as confirmed by TEM. The optical properties of the BCP-microspheres were characterized using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime measurements. A maximum absorption peak was observed at approximately 580 nm, indicating that Au NPs are densely packed into P4VP domains on the microspheres. Our approach for creating Au-NP-hybrid BCP-microspheres can be extended to other NP systems such as iron-oxide or platinum NPs. These precursors can also be selectively incorporated into P4VP domains and induce the formation of hybrid BCP-microspheres with controlled surface nanostructures.

Extending Förster resonance energy transfer measurements beyond 100 Å using common organic fluorophores: enhanced transfer in the presence of multiple acceptors

Using commercially available organic fluorophores, the current applications of Förster (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) are limited to about 80 Å. However, many essential activities in cells are spatially and/or temporally dependent on the assembly/disassembly of transient complexes consisting of large-size macromolecules that are frequently separated by distances greater than 100 Å. Expanding the accessible range for FRET to 150 Å would open up many cellular interactions to fluorescence and fluorescence-lifetime imaging. Here, we demonstrate that the use of multiple randomly distributed acceptors on proteins/antibodies, rather than the use of a single localized acceptor, makes it possible to significantly enhance FRET and detect interactions between the donor fluorophore and the acceptor-labeled protein at distances greater than 100 Å. A simple theoretical model for spherical bodies that have been randomly labeled with acceptors has been developed. To test the theoretical predictions of this system, we carried out FRET studies using a 30-mer oligonucleotide-avidin system that was labeled with the acceptors DyLight649 or Dylight750. The opposite 5'-end of the oligonucleotide was labeled with the Alexa568 donor. We observed significantly enhanced energy transfer due to presence of multiple acceptors on the avidin protein. The results and simulation indicate that use of a nanosized body that has been randomly labeled with multiple acceptors allows FRET measurements to be extended to over 150 Å when using commercially available probes and established protein-labeling protocols.

Mapping of surface-enhanced fluorescence on metal nanoparticles using super-resolution photoactivation localization microscopy

Photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM) was applied to study surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) on metal nanostructures (SEF-PALM). The detection of fluorescence from individual single molecules can be used to image the point-spread-function and spatial distribution of the fluorescence emitted in the vicinity of a metal surface. Due to the strong scattering effect, the angular distribution of the fluorescence is altered by metals, resulting in a spatial shift of fluorescence spots with respect to the metal nanostructures, and has to be taken into account in the analysis. SEF-PALM can be used to discriminate effects of labelling density when estimating the enhancement factor in SEF. Furthermore, nanostructures with sizes below the diffraction limit can be resolved using this technique. SEF-PALM is established as a powerful tool to study plasmon-mediated phenomena on metal nanostructures.