Work

Creating Semiconducting Polymer Dots with Enhanced Performance Through a Simple Mixed Antisolvent Approach

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We present an optimized method for producing semiconducting polymer dots using a water-ethanol mixed antisolvent during nanoprecipitation. Compared to conventional Pdots made with pure water as the antisolvent, these newly produced Pdots exhibit simultaneously enhanced fluorescence efficiency and stability of particle size and emission spectra. These findings should be mainly attributed to an improved core-shell Pdots nanostructure formed by a sequential nanoprecipitation process. It offers Pdots a purer, more compact, and hydrophobic inner core, coated with a greater number of hydrophilic polyethylene glycol shells. This viewpoint is further reinforced by Förster energy-transfer efficiency in a fluorescence donor-acceptor Pdots system. The novelly prepared Pdots can better encapsulate small-molecular cargoes and more efficiently bioconjugate to targets. Consequently, it demonstrates improved specific immunofluorescence staining of microtubule structures in living cells.

Source: Biosensors

DOI: 10.3390/bios16060308

Authors: Dingshi Xu, Xuehan He, Yi Zhao, Jiasi Wang, Lei Chen

Institutions: Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instrument

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654

Funders: Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen City, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province