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Dextran-coated silica nanoparticles for calcium-sensing.

Anja Schulz¹, Robert Woolley, Thibault Tabarin

¹National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform Ireland (NBIPI), School of Physics, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.

|March 4, 2011

Summary

Researchers developed fluorescent composite nanoparticles with a silica core and dextran shell for calcium ion (Ca2+) detection. These nanoparticles exhibit a significant fluorescence increase upon Ca2+ binding, suitable for physiological measurements.

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Biochemistry

Background:

Development of sensitive and reliable methods for detecting calcium ions (Ca2+) is crucial in biological and medical research.
Existing calcium sensors may face limitations in terms of sensitivity, stability, or suitability for physiological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize and characterize novel fluorescent composite nanoparticles for ratiometric calcium ion sensing.
To evaluate the performance of these nanoparticles in detecting Ca2+ within the physiological concentration range.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of silica core nanoparticles incorporating a rhodamine reference dye.
Functionalization of a dextran shell with the Ca2+-sensitive dye Fluo-4.
Characterization of nanoparticle size, colloidal stability, and fluorescence response to Ca2+.

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Main Results:

The composite nanoparticles exhibited an average hydrodynamic diameter of 95 nm with good colloidal stability.
A 2.9-fold increase in fluorescence intensity was observed upon binding of Ca2+ ions.
The apparent dissociation constant (K'(d) ≈ 520 nM) indicates suitability for physiological Ca2+ measurements.

Conclusions:

The developed fluorescent composite nanoparticles offer a promising platform for ratiometric Ca2+ sensing.
These nanoparticles demonstrate robust performance and are well-suited for applications in biological systems requiring physiological Ca2+ monitoring.