Functionalization of conjugated polymer nanoparticles for fluorescence photomodulation.

The emission of conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs or Pdots) is often tailored for specific uses by functionalizing CPNs with dyes that act as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) acceptors. A number of dye functionalization methods for CPNs have been developed, ranging from simple noncovalent doping to covalent attachment. We seek to develop guidelines for when noncovalent doping is acceptable and when covalent attachment is necessary to achieve the desired result.