Development of an Optical Nanosensor Incorporating a pH-Sensitive Quencher Dye for Potassium Imaging.

ABSTRACT: One of the key challenges in the design of a sensor for measuring extracellular changes in potassium concentration is selectivity against the competing cation, sodium. Here, we present an optode-based nanosensor selective to potassium ions, owing to the addition of a pH-sensitive quencher molecule paired with a static fluorophore. The nanosensor was fabricated using emulsification and characterized in solution by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. The resulting nanosensor detected potassium with nearly 1 order of magnitude higher selectivity compared to our chromoionophore-based optode nanosensors. In addition to the improved selectivity, the nanosensor has the following properties required for measurements in a biological environment: (1) a physiologically relevant dynamic range, (

SUBMITTER: Sahari A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5241046 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature