Single molecule fluorescence detection of BODIPY-FL molecules for monitoring protein synthesis

We have observed single DNA strands labeled with a small fluorescent molecule, BODIPY-FL, using objective based total internal fluorescence microscopy. In spite of its photobleaching, this small fluorophore is potentially useful for monitoring biochemical processes like protein synthesis because it can be efficiently incorporated into proteins by the ribosome through a charged epsilon-labeled fluorescent lysine tRNA. Using evanescent wave laser excitation at 488 nm, we have been able to observe single Bodipy molecules using integration times as low as 20 ms with a good signal to noise ratio, and for several images before photobleaching. We have measured the fluorescence decay due to photobleaching and have been able to lengthen it by a factor of 5 using oxygen scavenger systems.     

Accuracy of spectrum estimate in fluorescence spectral microscopy with spectral filters

We establish the accuracy of the spectrum that is estimated with an inexpensive fluorescence spectral microscope utilizing a small set of spectral filters [Soriano et al, Opt. Exp. 10, 1458–1464 (2002)]. The spectrum at an arbitrary image location of the fluorescent sample is estimated as a linear superposition of basis spectra that are derived by singular value decomposition (SVD) or principal component analysis (PCA) from a spectral library of fluorescence spectra. Estimation performance is analyzed as a function of library statistics, filter selection and sequencing, minimum negativity constraint and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of fluorescence image. We consider image SNR degradations that arise from weakening of image intensity, additive Gaussian noise, intensity-dependent Poisson noise and quantization errors. The recovery of specific spectral features like spectral resolution, general similarity and peak alignments, is assessed using Linfoot’s criteria of fidelity, structural content, and correlation. We found that estimation with SVD basis spectra is more robust against image noise than that with PCA basis spectra. However for high SNR images, accurate estimation is achieved more quickly with PCA basis spectra and with better response to the application of minimum negativity constraint.     

The interpretation of the LII signal in optically dense combusting sprays

A numerical investigation was made of the generation and behaviour of the LII signal in optically dense combusting sprays at conditions similar to those in the combustion chamber of compression ignition engines and gas turbines. The influence of particle size, particle morphology and size distribution on the behaviour of the LII signal, and the scattering and absorption of light, and the consequences that different calibration procedures have on the accuracy of the results were studied. Results show that, as the particle size or aggregation increases, light extinction is not caused only by absorption but also by scattering, which contributes more than 10% to the total extinction of light. Particle shape effects are important, irrespective of particle size. The form, soot concentration gradients and optical thickness of the flame cause an uneven laser fluence across the measuring volume that affects the generation of the LII signal. In addition, the quotient between the transmitted and incoming laser pulses across the flame borders can be as small as a percentage of unity. The interpretation of the induced signal is further challenged by the loss of signal between the measuring volume and the detection arrangement, thus causing the detection of spectrally distorted and weaker signals with an erroneous profile of the local amount of carbonaceous particles. An appropriate calibration procedure must be followed to obtain results that are quantitatively representative. External calibration was found to be inappropriate for these systems since it can lead one to underestimate the local volume fraction for almost two orders of magnitude. Implementing an in situ calibration along a line can lead to underestimate or overestimate the local mean volume fraction by a factor of two. However, the use of an in situ calibration procedure using a laser sheet that propagates through the complete measuring volume can reduce the error in estimating the mean soot volume fraction to a 30%. The latter was found to be the most adequate among the studied calibration routines.     

Electromagnetic interaction of fluorophores with designed two-dimensional silver nanoparticle arrays

We study the fluorescence enhancement of dye molecules adsorbed on regular two-dimensional arrays of designed silver nanoparticles. The silver particles show two orthogonal optical resonances at different wavelengths because of their elongated shape. The short-wavelength resonance was designed to fit to the absorption maximum of the fluorophore. When the excitation light drives the short-wavelength resonance, the measured fluorescence intensity is strongly enhanced compared to that for the orthogonal particle orientation. This shows directly a strong electromagnetic coupling between the nanoparticles and the fluorophore. Additionally enhanced photochemical bleaching is observed due to the interaction of fluorophores with the particles. Using a rate model describing the fluorescence enhancement and the bleaching enhancement, an average value for the particle-induced increase in the radiative fluorescence rate is obtained, together with a lower limit for the averaged particle-induced field intensity enhancement factor. Received: 3 July 2001 / Revised version: 3 September 2001 / Published online: 15 October 2001     

丹酰氯SiO2纳米发光标记物的制备

通过合成丹酰氯的荧光单体硅酯前驱物,采用油包水的反相微乳液法,以丹酰氯的荧光单体硅酯前驱物为核材料,成功地制备了丹酰氯的荧光纳米颗粒,克服了传统方法制备核壳荧光纳米颗粒中存在的荧光染料泄漏问题.通过透射电子显微镜表征该纳米粒子呈球形,大小均匀,直径为40nm左右.所制得纳米颗粒荧光性质稳定,受外界环境的影响小,且潜在生物亲和性,是一种新型的荧光标记物.     

Studies of New Peroxyoxalate-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Chemiluminescence System Using Quinoxaline Derivatives as Green Fluorophores

Quinoxaline derivatives are a great interest as fluorescent emitters for peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence. Reaction of peroxyoxalates such as bis-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate with H₂O₂ can transfer energy to fluorophore via formation of dioxetanedione intermediate. Two quinoxaline derivatives used as a fluorophore in this study which produce a green light in the chemiluminescence systems. The relationship between the chemiluminescence intensity and concentrations of fluorophore, peroxyoxalate, sodium salicylate and hydrogen peroxide was investigated. Kinetic parameters for the peroxyoxalate-chemiluminescence were also calculated from the computer fitting of the corresponding chemiluminescence intensity/time profiles. It was found that the biphenylquinoxaline can be used as an efficient green fluorescent emitter.     

Linear optimal control for tracking a single fluorescent particle in a confocal microscope

We study the problem of localizing and tracking in a confocal laser scanning microscope a single fluorescent particle diffusing in three dimensions. The position of the particle is estimated from a collection of intensity measurements using a novel analytical algorithm. This estimator is then combined with a tracking algorithm based on a linear quadratic Gaussian controller to steer the detection volume of the microscope and follow the molecule. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated through numerical simulations. These results indicate that, in such a system, tracking in three dimensions of a particle moving with a diffusion constant larger than 1 μm²/s is possible without the need for additional sensors or lasers.     

Dynamics of Förster Energy Transfer in Pyridium Salt-Doped Thin Films

Properties of photoluminescence and Förster energy transfer dynamics based on an organic pyridium salt trans-4-[p-(N-Hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)Styryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide (ASPI) and organic small molecule Alq3 in PMMA polymeric thin films are investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescent spectra as well as theoretical calculation. The observation of reduced emission intensity and the fluorescent lifetime of Alq3 is demonstrated, while the ASPI emission gradually increases and is finally dominant in the PL spectra with increasing ASPI doping concentration. Such results show that there exists an efficient Förster energy transfer (FET) from Alq3 to ASPI due to the large spectral overlap between ASPI absorption and Alq3 emission. The difference between the theoretical FET efficiency and the experimental data is caused by the lower mobility of the Alq3 exciton in the MMA matrix.     

Developing of Fluorescence Probes Based on Stilbazolium Salts for Monitoring Free Radical Polymerization Processes. II

The series of 1-methyl-4-(4-aminostyryl)pyridinium perchlorates was investigated as fluorescent probes for the monitoring of the free radical polymerization progress. The study on the changes in fluorescence intensity and spectroscopic shifts of studied compounds were carried out during thermally initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The purpose of these studies was to find a relationship between the structure of fluorophore and the changes in their fluorescence shape and intensity observed during the monomer conversion into polymer. The probes under the study during the course of polymerization increase their fluorescence intensity at least one order of magnitude. Such increase qualified the tested probes as good fluorescence probes.     

Immobilization of pyrene via diethylenetriamine on quartz plate surface for recognition of dicarboxylic acids

A novel photo-luminescence film has been prepared by immobilizing pyrene on a quartz plate surface via diethylenetriamine. Imino structure was intentionally introduced into the long flexible spacer due to their hydrogen bond forming abilities with carboxylic acids. It has been found that the film shows combined monomer and excimer emission of pyrene both in wet and dry states. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence emission measurements demonstrated that the excimer emission mainly came from direct excitation of ground state dimers, and/or monomers in aggregated state. The structures of the excimers formed during the excitation are mixtures of “standard excimers” and “distorted excimers” of the fluorophore moieties. Fluorescence lifetime measurements showed that the decay of the film is complex, and a four exponential fit is necessary for getting a satisfied result. The photophysical behavior of the present film could be rationalized by employing the model proposed before. Sensing property studies showed that the emission of the film is sensitive to the presence of dicarboxylic acids, including ethanedioic acid, malonic acid, etc. In contrast, presence of monocarboxylic acids, such as formic acid and acetic acid, had little effect upon the fluorescence emission of the film. Compared with the films taking ethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane as their spacer component, introduction of diethylenetriamine into the spacer improved the performance of the film greatly. In addition, the sensing process is reversible, and the film is stable within a number of months provided it is properly preserved. These characteristics showed that the film is worthwhile for further exploration.     

Optical properties of fullerene and non-fullerene peapods

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) encapsulating fullerenes, so-called fullerene peapods, were synthesized in high yield by using diameter-selected nanotubes as pods. Transmission electron microscopy revealed high-density fullerene chains inside the nanotubes. X-ray-diffraction measurements indicate 85% filling for C₆₀ and 72% filling for C₇₀ molecules as a total yield. Interestingly, C₆₀ peas do not show any thermal expansion while C₇₀ peas show normal behavior. Room-temperature Raman spectra show one-dimensional photopolymerization of C₆₀ inside nanotubes by blue-laser irradiation, suggesting molecular rotation inside them. In C₇₀ peapods, no photopolymerization was observed but the relative Raman intensity of each peak is different from the C₇₀ 3D crystal. This is probably caused by mixing of two different crystal structures in C₇₀ peas. Furthermore, we synthesized Zn-diphenylporphyrin peapods. Optical absorption and Raman spectra suggest that the encapsulated molecules are deformed by interaction with the SWNT. Received: 12 November 2001 / Accepted: 3 December 2001 / Published online: 4 March 2002     

Tracking a single fluorescent molecule with a confocal microscope

We consider the problem of tracking a single fluorescent molecule in both two and three dimensions using a confocal laser scanning microscope. An estimate of the position of the molecule is generated from the measured fluorescence signal through the use of parameter estimation theory. This estimate is used in a nonlinear controller designed both to track the position of the molecule and to provide good measurements for use in the estimation algorithm. The performance of the approach is investigated through numerical simulation for molecules undergoing diffusion and directed transport and the capabilities of the controller relative to experimental limitations are discussed.     

SPDM: light microscopy with single-molecule resolution at?the?nanoscale

Far-field fluorescence techniques based on the precise determination of object positions have the potential to circumvent the optical resolution limit of direct imaging given by diffraction theory. In order to use localization to obtain structural information far below the diffraction limit, the ‘point-like’ components of the structure have to be detected independently, even if their distance is lower than the conventional optical resolution limit. This goal can be achieved by exploiting various photo-physical properties of the fluorescence labeling (‘spectral signatures’). In first experiments, spectral precision distance microscopy/spectral position determination microscopy (SPDM) was limited to a relatively small number of components to be resolved within the observation volume. Recently, the introduction of photoconvertable molecules has dramatically increased the number of components which can be independently localized. Here, we present an extension of the SPDM concept, exploiting the novel spectral signature offered by reversible photobleaching of fluorescent proteins. In combination with spatially modulated illumination (SMI) microscopy, at the present stage, we have achieved an estimated effective optical resolution of approximately 20 nm in the lateral and 50 nm in the axial direction, or about 1/25th–1/10th of the exciting wavelength.     

Photobleaching with a subnanosecond laser flash

In standard fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) applications for measuring lateral diffusion rates and adsorption/desorption kinetics of fluorescent molecules at biological or model membranes, irreversible bleaching is induced by a bright excitation flash of at least millisecond time scale. It has been presumed that the bleaching event is of a low probability and the significant bleached population that develops during the flash results from each molecule undergoing thousands of excitation/deexcitation cycles before a bleaching event occurs. In some FRAP experiments, notably polarized FRAP (PFRAP) for measuring molecular rotational diffusion rates, it is desirable to use much shorter (subnanosecond) bleaching pulses. However, subnanosecond pulses are shorter than the fluorescence lifetime, so that any fluorophore will experience at most only one visit to the excited state during the bleaching pulse. If bleaching occurs only by the same processes as in slower FRAP experiments, one would thereby expect only minimal bleaching regardless of the bleach intensity. Moreover, the ability of fast polarized pulses to imprint an anisotropic orientational pattern in the postbleach unbleached fluorophore, an ability essential for PFRAP, is not at all guaranteed, particularly if two-photon processes are involved in high-intensity short bleach pulses. In this study, bleaching depths are measured as a function of subnanosecond pulse intensity on a small labeled protein covalently immobilized on fused silica. We show that bright subnanosecond laser flashes do indeed produce significant bleaching, that both two photon effects and reversible bleaching are involved, and that polarized bleaching does produce an anisotropic orientational pattern of unbleached fluorophore. We also postulate a theoretical molecular state model which semiquantitatively accounts for the experimentally observed dependence of reversible bleaching on bleaching pulse intensity.     

Modeling tip performance for combined STM-luminescence and aperture-SNOM scanning probe: Spatial resolution and collection efficiency

Finite-element simulations of the performance of the tip intended for use in combined aperture-SNOM and the scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-luminescence microscopy are presented. Tip geometry and the role of the opening in the protective metal coating were addressed. It is shown that the tip shape can affect transmittance for the excitation SNOM mode by nearly two orders of magnitude and the metal coating can enhance collection efficiency for the STM-luminescence mode. Desired tip configuration can be chosen based on the interplay between the improving collection efficiency and the deteriorating spatial resolution with increasing opening size.     

Temperature effect on porous silicon luminescence

A theoretical surface-state model of porousilicon luminescence is proposed. The temperature effect on the PhotoLuminescence (PL) spectrum for pillar and spherical structures is considered, and it is found that the effect is dependent on the doping concentration, the excitation strength, and the shape and dimensions of the Si microstructure. The doping concentration has an effect on the PL intensity at high temperatures and the excitation strength has an effect on the PL intensity at low temperatures. The variations of the PL intensity with temperature are different for the pillar and spherical structures. At low temperatures the PL intensity increases in the pillar structure, while in the spherical structure the PL intensity decreases as the temperature increases, at high temperatures the PL intensities have a maximum for both models. The temperature, at which the PL intensity reaches its maximum, depends on the doping concentration. The PL spectrum has a broader peak structure in the spherical structure than in the pillar structure. The theoretical results are in agreement with experimental results.     

Molecular engineered silica surfaces with an assembled anthracene monolayer as a fluorescent sensor for organic copper(II) salts

A novel fluorescence film has been fabricated by covalently coupling anthracene on a glass plate surface via a long flexible “Y” type spacer. Fluorescence measurement demonstrated that the emission of the film is dominated by anthracene monomer emission, and the emission can be selectively quenched by organic copper(II) salts including copper acetate, copper citrate, copper tartrate, etc. Addition of inorganic copper(II) salts like Cu(NO₃)₂, CuSO₄, CuCl₂, etc., however, has little effect upon the emission of the film. This observation was explained by considering the screening effect of the spacer layer, or spacer clusters, or even spacers adopting compact coiled conformation. Different from the reported fluorescence films with similar structures, immobilization of anthracene via a “Y” type spacer on a glass plate surface makes the fluorophore moieties exist in two different states, that is some of them were embedded within the spacer structures, and some of them might stay out of the structures. This hypothesis has been confirmed by model system, solvent effect and quenching mechanism studies. The emission of the film is sensitive to the presence of organic copper(II) salts like copper acetate. The response of the film to copper acetate is fully reversible. Presence of other inorganic salts, including Pb(Ac)₂, Cd(Ac)₂, Zn(Ac)₂, and inorganic copper(II) salts has little effect upon the sensing performance of the film to copper acetate.     

Simple time-domain optical method for estimating the depth and concentration of a fluorescent inclusion in a turbid medium

A simple time-domain optical method for estimating the depth and concentration of fluorescent inclusions in turbid media is described. We demonstrate direct depth estimation of a localized fluorescent object from the temporal position of the temporal point-spread function maximum. The depth estimation permits recovery of the fluorophore concentration, both of which are essential quantities for optical molecular imaging studies. Since the maximum is independent of the fluorophore concentration, excitation laser power, detector gain, and other system-dependent factors, this method ensures a robust and efficient approach.     

Toward whole-body optical imaging of rats using single-photon counting fluorescence tomography

We used single-photon counting (SPC) detection for diffuse fluorescence tomography to image nanomolar (nM) concentrations of reporter dyes through a rat. Detailed phantom data are presented to show that every centimeter increase in tissue thickness leads to 1 order of magnitude decrease in the minimum fluorophore concentration detectable for a given detector sensitivity. Specifically, here, detection of Alexa Fluor 647 dyes is shown to be achievable for concentrations as low as 1 nM (<200 fM) through more than 5 cm in tissue phantoms, which indicates that this is feasible in larger rodent models. Because it is possible to detect sub-nM fluorescent inclusions with SPC technology in rats, it follows that it is possible to localize subpicomolar fluorophore concentrations in mice, putting the concentration sensitivity limits on the same order as nuclear medicine methods.     

硫杂杯芳烃基胶束自组装荧光化学传感器制备及其性能研究

以对叔丁基硫杂杯[4]芳烃（TCA）为受体、苝和十二烷基苯磺酸钠（SDBS）分别为荧光体和自组装模板剂,通过在水中的胶束自组装作用制备得到一种新型的“ON–OFF”型Cu2+荧光化学传感器。论文选用荧光猝灭率为考察指标,详细考察了受体TCA用量、自组装模板剂SDBS浓度、Cu2+浓度和共存金属离子等影响因素对胶束自组装荧光化学传感器Cu2+检测性能的影响情况。实验结果表明,当受体TCA与荧光体苝的摩尔浓度比值达到1 000,自组装模板剂SDBS浓度为50 mmol·L-1,该荧光化学传感器对水中铜离子具有较好的检测能力,待测Cu2+浓度在一定浓度范围内与荧光猝灭率呈线性相关。此外,荧光化学传感器的Cu2+检测性能基本不受Pb2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+,Ni2+,Zn2+等共存金属离子干扰。该胶束自组装荧光化学传感器对Cu2+的选择性检测性能主要归因于胶束表面活性剂分子层中TCA受体对Cu2+的识别作用,而传感器荧光猝灭主要基于胶束内部的电荷转移或能量转移机制。