Photoswitchable non-fluorescent thermochromic dye-nanoparticle hybrid probes.

ABSTRACT: Photoswitchable fluorescent proteins with controllable light-dark states and spectral shifts in emission in response to light have led to breakthroughs in the study of cell biology. Nevertheless, conventional photoswitching is not applicable for weakly fluorescent proteins and requires UV light with low depth penetration in bio-tissue. Here we introduce a novel concept of photoswitchable hybrid probes consisting of thermochromic dye and absorbing nanoparticles, in which temperature-sensitive light-dark states and spectral shifts in absorption can be switched through controllable photothermal heating of doped nanoparticles. The proof-of-concept is demonstrated through the use of two different types of temperature-sensitive dyes doped with magnetic nanoparticles and reversibly photoswitched

SUBMITTER: Harrington WN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5099817 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature