Spiropyran-Based Photochromic Polymer Nanoparticles with Optically Switchable Luminescence

Polymer nanoparticles of 40−400 nm diameter with spiropyran−merocyanine dyes incorporated into their hydrophobic cavities have been prepared; in contrast to their virtually nonfluorescent character in most environments, the merocyanine forms of the encapsulated dyes are highly fluorescent. Spiro−mer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Chemical Society 2006-04, Vol.128 (13), p.4303-4309
Main Authors: Zhu, Ming-Qiang, Zhu, Linyong, Han, Jason J, Wu, Wuwei, Hurst, James K, Li, Alexander D. Q
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acrylamides - chemistry
Applied sciences
Benzopyrans - chemistry
Electrical, magnetic and optical properties
Exact sciences and technology
Fluorescence
Humans
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Indoles - chemistry
Luminescence
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Models, Molecular
Nanostructures - chemistry
Nitro Compounds - chemistry
Organic polymers
Photochemistry
Physicochemistry of polymers
Polystyrenes - chemistry
Properties and characterization
Pyrimidinones - chemistry
Spectrometry, Fluorescence
Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
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Summary:Polymer nanoparticles of 40−400 nm diameter with spiropyran−merocyanine dyes incorporated into their hydrophobic cavities have been prepared; in contrast to their virtually nonfluorescent character in most environments, the merocyanine forms of the encapsulated dyes are highly fluorescent. Spiro−mero photoisomerization is reversible, allowing the fluorescence to be switched “on” and “off” by alternating UV and visible light. Immobilizing the dye inside hydrophobic pockets of nanoparticles also improves its photostability, rendering it more resistant than the same dyes in solution to fatigue effects arising from photochemical switching. The photophysical characteristics of the encapsulated fluorophores differ dramatically from those of the same species in solution, making nanoparticle-protected hydrophobic fluorophores attractive materials for potential applications such as optical data storage and switching and biological fluorescent labeling. To evaluate the potential for biological tagging, these optically addressable nanoparticles have been delivered into living cells and imaged with a liquid nitrogen-cooled CCD.
ISSN:0002-7863
1520-5126
DOI:10.1021/ja0567642