Sivaramapanicker Sreejith

Squaraine dyes: a mine of molecular materials

This feature article highlights the recent developments in the field of squaraine chemistry. Attempts have been made to address the relevance of squaraine dyes as a class of functional organic materials useful for electronic and photonic applications. Due to the synthetic access of a variety of squaraine dyes with structural variations and due to the strong absorption and emission properties which respond to the surrounding medium, these dyes have been receiving significant attention. Therefore, squaraine dyes have been extensively investigated in recent years, from both fundamental and technological viewpoints.

Graphene Oxide Wrapping on Squaraine-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Bioimaging

Squaraine dyes were loaded inside mesoporous silica nanoparticles, and the nanoparticle surfaces were then wrapped with ultrathin graphene oxide sheets, leading to the formation of a novel hybrid material. The hybrid exhibits remarkable stability and can efficiently protect the loaded dye from nucleophilic attack. The biocompatible hybrid is noncytotoxic and presents significant potential for application in fluorescence imaging in vitro.

Immobilizing Gold Nanoparticles in Mesoporous Silica Covered Reduced Graphene Oxide: A Hybrid Material for Cancer Cell Detection through Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

A new kind of two-dimensional (2-D) hybrid material (RGO-PMS@AuNPs), fabricated by the immobilization of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, ∼3 nm) onto sandwich-like periodic mesopourous silica (PMS) coated reduced graphene oxide (RGO), was employed for both electrocatalytic application and cancer cell detection. The hybrid-based electrode sensor showed attractive electrochemical performance for sensitive and selective nonenzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in 0.1 M phosphate buffered saline, with wide linear detection range (0.5 μM to 50 mM), low detection limit (60 nM), and good sensitivity (39.2 μA mM(-1) cm(-2)), and without any interference by common interfering agents. In addition, the sensor exhibited a high capability for glucose sensing and H2O2 detection in human urine. More interestingly, the hybrid was found to be nontoxic, and the electrode sensor could sensitively detect a trace amount of H2O2 in a nanomolar level released from living tumor cells (HeLa and HepG2). Because the hybrid presents significant properties for the detection of bioactive species and certain cancerous cells by the synergistic effect from RGO, PMS, and AuNPs, it could be able to serve as a versatile platform for biosensing, bioanalysis, and biomedical applications.

Self-assembled near-infrared dye nanoparticles as a selective protein sensor by activation of a dormant fluorophore

Design of selective sensors for a specific analyte in blood serum, which contains a large number of proteins, small molecules, and ions, is important in clinical diagnostics. While metal and polymeric nanoparticle conjugates have been used as sensors, small molecular assemblies have rarely been exploited for the selective sensing of a protein in blood serum. Herein we demonstrate how a nonspecific small molecular fluorescent dye can be empowered to form a selective protein sensor as illustrated with a thiol-sensitive near-IR squaraine (Sq) dye (λabs= 670 nm, λem= 700 nm). The dye self-assembles to form nonfluorescent nanoparticles (Dh = 200 nm) which selectively respond to human serum albumin (HSA) in the presence of other thiol-containing molecules and proteins by triggering a green fluorescence. This selective response of the dye nanoparticles allowed detection and quantification of HSA in blood serum with a sensitivity limit of 3 nM. Notably, the Sq dye in solution state is nonselective and responds to any thiol-containing proteins and small molecules. The sensing mechanism involves HSA specific controlled disassembly of the Sq nanoparticles to the molecular dye by a noncovalent binding process and its subsequent reaction with the thiol moiety of the protein, triggering the green emission of a dormant fluorophore present in the dye. This study demonstrates the power of a self-assembled small molecular fluorophore for protein sensing and is a simple chemical tool for the clinical diagnosis of blood serum.

Upconversion Nanoparticles as a Contrast Agent for Photoacoustic Imaging in Live Mice

An inclusion complex of NaYF4 :Yb(3+) ,Er(3+) upconversion nanoparticles with α-cyclodextrin in aqueous conditions exhibits luminescence quenching when excited at 980 nm. This non-radiative relaxation leads to an unprecedented photoacoustic signal enhancement. In vivo localization of α-cyclodextrin-covered NaYF4 :Yb(3+) ,Er(3+) is demonstrated using photoacoustic tomography in live mice, showing its high capability for photoacoustic imaging.

Near-Infrared Squaraine Dye Encapsulated Micelles for in Vivo Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Bimodal Imaging

Combined near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging techniques present promising capabilities for noninvasive visualization of biological structures. Development of bimodal noninvasive optical imaging approaches by combining NIR fluorescence and photoacoustic tomography demands suitable NIR-active exogenous contrast agents. If the aggregation and photobleaching are prevented, squaraine dyes are ideal candidates for fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. Herein, we report rational selection, preparation, and micelle encapsulation of an NIR-absorbing squaraine dye (D1) for in vivo fluorescence and photoacoustic bimodal imaging. D1 was encapsulated inside micelles constructed from a biocompatible nonionic surfactant (Pluoronic F-127) to obtain D1-encapsulated micelles (D1(micelle)) in aqueous conditions. The micelle encapsulation retains both the photophysical features and chemical stability of D1. D1(micelle) exhibits high photostability and low cytotoxicity in biological conditions. Unique properties of D1(micelle) in the NIR window of 800-900 nm enable the development of a squaraine-based exogenous contrast agent for fluorescence and photoacoustic bimodal imaging above 820 nm. In vivo imaging using D1(micelle), as demonstrated by fluorescence and photoacoustic tomography experiments in live mice, shows contrast-enhanced deep tissue imaging capability. The usage of D1(micelle) proven by preclinical experiments in rodents reveals its excellent applicability for NIR fluorescence and photoacoustic bimodal imaging.

A ratiometric fluorescent molecular probe with enhanced two-photon response upon Zn2+ binding for in vitro and in vivo bioimaging

A bipyridine centered donor–acceptor–donor (D–π–A–π–D) type ratiometric fluorescent molecular probe exhibited an unprecedented enhancement in the two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section upon Zn2+ binding. Moreover, owing to the excited state charge-transfer of the fluorophore π-backbone, a significant enhancement in the two-photon (2P) excited fluorescence intensity was observed upon Zn2+ binding, resulting in a 13-fold enhancement in the 2PA cross section and a 9-fold enhancement in fluorescence brightness at 620 nm when compared to the cation-free fluorophore. The large 2PA cross section of 1433 GM and 2P action cross section (860 GM), with an excellent 2P excited fluorescence variation from 517 to 620 nm upon Zn2+ binding, facilitated the ratiometric monitoring of free zinc ions in cells. The low cytotoxicity and good photostability of the fluorophore allowed two-photon Zn2+ imaging of HeLa cells. In addition, in vivo two-photon imaging of Zn2+ ions in hepatocytes of live rats illustrated the viability of the probe in tissue imaging and monitoring of free zinc ions in live cells.

Spacer intercalated disassembly and photodynamic activity of zinc phthalocyanine inside nanochannels of mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Hydrophobic photosensitizer zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) was loaded into adamantane (Ad) modified nanochannels of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs). The Ad units on the surface of MSNPs were complexed with amino-substituted β-cyclodextrin to enhance the solubility of the hybrid in aqueous solution. The amino groups on β-cyclodextrin also provide functional sites for further conjugation with targeting ligands toward targeted cancer therapy. Since the intercalation of the Ad spacer isolates loaded ZnPc and prevents its aggregation inside MSNPs, ZnPc exhibits its monomeric characteristics to effectively generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen ((1)O2) upon light irradiation (675 nm) in aqueous conditions, leading to efficient photodynamic activity for successful cancer treatment in vitro. Current research presents a convenient approach to maintain the monomeric state of hydrophobic photosensitizer ZnPc by rationally utilizing multifunctional MSNPs as the carriers. The novel hybrid with targeting capability achieves active photodynamic property of monomeric ZnPc in aqueous solution under light irradiation, which may find its way for practical photodynamic therapy in the future.

Photon Driven Transformation of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskites from Few-Monolayer Nanoplatelets to Bulk Phase

Influence of light exposure on cesium lead halide nanostructures has been explored. A discovery of photon driven transformation (PDT) in 2D CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets is reported, in which the quantum-confined few-monolayer nanoplatelets will convert to bulk phase under very low irradiation intensity (≈20 mW cm-2 ). Benefiting from the remarkable emission color change during PDT, the multicolor luminescence photopatterns and facile information photo-encoding are established.

Multiple Analyte Response and Molecular Logic Operations by Excited-State Charge-Transfer Modulation in a Bipyridine Integrated Fluorophore

The tunable excited-state properties of a new donor-π-acceptor-π-donor-type fluorophore 1 with a bipyridyl moiety and its ability to respond to different analytes in solution and on paper microchannels are described. Furthermore, the multiple analyte response of fluorophore 1 has been exploited to perform multiple logic operations. Molecule 1, by virtue of its excited-state charge transfer, exhibits solvatochromism and reversible modulation of its emission in response to multiple chemical inputs, thus resulting in different fluorescent signals. The intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) emission of 1 at 574 nm has been modulated to three emission outputs by using different chemical inputs, such as Zn(2+), H(+), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Thus, different logic operations such as AND, 2-input-INH, 3-input-INH, IMP, and a combination of these logic operations could be achieved.