Abstract
A bioinspired silification approach was successfully used to encapsulate fluorescent conjugated polymers inside silica-shell cross-linked polymeric micelles (CP-SSCL) in the highly benign synthesis environment of room temperature and near-neutral aqueous environment. Four different conjugated polymers were employed to demonstrate the versatility of the bioinspired silification, resulting in the formation of CP-SSCL with different emission wavelengths across the visible spectrum. The CP-SSCL are characterized by a large absorption coefficient and high quantum yield, indicating that they exhibit the required high fluorescence brightness for cellular imaging application. In addition, the CP-SSCL also exhibit a high colloidal stability and low cytotoxicity. The in vitro studies of using MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells show that the CP-SSCL are successfully uptaken by the cancer cells and located at the cytoplasm of the cells. Furthermore, by conjugating folic acid on their surfaces, the uptake of CP-SSCL by MDA-MB-231 cells was enhanced significantly, suggesting their great potential for targeted imaging and early detection of cancer cells.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 237-246 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Biomaterials |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2012 |
Keywords
- Biomimetic materials
- Image analysis
- Micelle
- Silica
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Bioengineering
- Ceramics and Composites
- Biomaterials
- Mechanics of Materials