Design and characterization of a nano-encapsulated self-referenced fluorescent nitric oxide sensor for wide-field optical imaging.

A nano-encapsulated fluorescence dye DAF-2 sensor that is specifically sensitive to nitric oxide (NO) was fabricated by using an electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique. Fluorescence calibrations of the NO sensor were collected by a wide-field optical imaging system and a fluorescence spectrometer using NO standards generated by the self decomposition of S-nitrosol-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP). The NO sensor consists of two fluorescence dyes, indicator DAF-2 and a reference R-PE.