Two-photon absorption enhancement for organic acceptor molecules with QD antennas

Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Aptasensor of Ochratoxin A Constructed Based on Gold Nanorods and DNA Tetrahedrons

Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination of corn has received significant attention due to the wide distribution and high toxicity of OTA. The maximum residue limit standard of OTA in corn has been established by the Chinese Government and other unions. Nanoparticle-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays are promising methods for the sensitive and fast detection of OTA. However, satisfactory detection sensitivity is commonly achieved with complicated signal amplification processes or specific nanoparticle morphologies, which means that these assays are not conducive to fast detection. This study proposes a simple and novel strategy to improve the sensitivity of FRET aptasensors. In this strategy, a DNA tetrahedron was first used in gold nanorod-based FRET aptasensors. DNA tetrahedron-modified gold nanorods are used as fluorescent acceptors, and Cy5-modified complementary sequences of the OTA aptamer are used as fluorescent donors. The aptamers of OTA are embedded in the DNA tetrahedrons, and FRET occurs when the aptamers hybridize with the Cy5-modified complementary sequences. The aptamer-integrated DNA tetrahedron modified on the surface of gold nanorods acts as an anchor, thus avoiding the crowding and entanglement of aptamers. Due to the competitive combination between the OTA aptamers and complementary sequences, the greater the amount of OTA, the less the amount of Cy5-modified complementary sequences that bind with the aptamers and the less the amount of Cy5 that is quenched. Thus, the fluorescence intensity is positively related to the OTA concentration. In this study, in the concentration range of 0.01-10 ng/mL, the fluorescence intensity was found to be linearly related to the logarithmic concentration of OTA. The limit of detection was calculated to be 0.005 ng/mL. The specificity of the developed biosensor was demonstrated to be efficient. The accuracy and stability of the developed aptasensor were also tested, and the method exhibited good performance in real samples.

The Rise and Future of Discrete Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanomaterials

Hybrid nanomaterials (HNs), the combination of organic semiconductor ligands attached to nanocrystal semiconductor quantum dots, have applications that span a range of practical fields, including biology, chemistry, medical imaging, and optoelectronics. Specifically, HNs operate as discrete, tunable systems that can perform prompt fluorescence, energy transfer, singlet fission, upconversion, and/or thermally activated delayed fluorescence. Interest in HNs has naturally grown over the years due to their tunability and broad spectrum of applications. This Review presents a brief introduction to the components of HNs, before expanding on the characterization and applications of HNs. Finally, the future of HN applications is discussed.

Coumarin 343 in aqueous solution: theoretical analysis of absorption

Vibronic coupling and hydration were taken into account when describing the absorption of coumarin C343 (both neutral and anionic forms) in an aqueous media. It was shown that the B3LYP functional with the 6-31 +  + G(d,p) basis set and the IEFPCM solvent continuum model give theoretical vibronic absorption spectra, which are coincide with the experimental ones. Of the structural differences between C343⁰ and C343^-, there is a different twisting of the carboxyl group additionally changing due to excitation. Upon excitation, a significant shift in the electron density occurs from the C10 atom to the C4 atom only. Thus, a charge transfer on the scale of the entire molecule does not occur. Different hydration complexes with strongly bound water molecules have been analyzed.

Ultrafast separation of multiexcitons within core/shell quantum dot hybrid systems

We investigated the electron transfer processes in methylene blue-CdTe and methylene blue-CdTe/CdSe complexes by steady state and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy by selective excitation of the quantum dot (QD) moiety. The ultrafast electron transfer is accelerated by the shell growth due to the separation of the charge carriers and the resulting increase of electron density in the shell. Transmission electron microscope images show that the successive addition of shell material deforms the spherical QDs until they adopt a tetrapodal shape. The increased donor-acceptor distance in the tetrapodal CdTe/CdSe QDs leads to a slower electron transfer. Photon flux dependent transient absorption measurements indicate the separation of two electrons for the QDs with a thin shell and thus demonstrate that charge carrier multiplication can be directly utilized for increased charge transfer in this type of QD hybrid system.