Development of an Optical Nanosensor Incorporating a pH-Sensitive Quencher Dye for Potassium Imaging.

Anal Chem

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.

Published: November 2015

AI Article Synopsis

  • The text discusses the development of an optode-based nanosensor specifically designed for detecting potassium ions, which is essential due to the challenge of distinguishing them from sodium ions in biological systems.
  • The sensor features a pH-sensitive quencher and a static fluorophore, achieving a significantly higher selectivity for potassium compared to existing technologies.
  • It is suitable for biological applications with a relevant dynamic range, effective response under physiological conditions, and reliability in the presence of interfering components, potentially beneficial for cellular imaging and drug testing.

Article Abstract

One of the key challenges in the design of a sensor for measuring extracellular changes in potassium concentration is selectivity against the competing cation, sodium. Here, we present an optode-based nanosensor selective to potassium ions, owing to the addition of a pH-sensitive quencher molecule paired with a static fluorophore. The nanosensor was fabricated using emulsification and characterized in solution by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. The resulting nanosensor detected potassium with nearly 1 order of magnitude higher selectivity compared to our chromoionophore-based optode nanosensors. In addition to the improved selectivity, the nanosensor has the following properties required for measurements in a biological environment: (1) a physiologically relevant dynamic range, (2) response to potassium ions at a physiological ionic strength, and (3) response to serum potassium in the presence of fouling biological components. The potassium nanosensor described in this study is envisioned to have application in cellular imaging and drug screening.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241046PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5b03080DOI Listing

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