One-pot synthesized organosilica nanospheres for multiplexed fluorescent nanobarcoding and subcellular tracking

Multicolor microbeads are widely used in flow cytometry for various cellular and immunoassays. However, they are limited by their large size of around one to tens of micrometers. Nanomaterials for multiplexed analysis are emerging as valuable tools in high-throughput assays and fluorescence cell barcoding. We present barcoding and related cellular studies based on mass-produced organosilane-derived multifunctional nanospheres with a uniform size. Functional groups including thiols, amines, and azides were integrated in one step from various organosilanes without additional orthosilicates. Fluorescent nanobarcodes (NBs) were achieved through flexible physical adsorption and chemical ligation of spectrally separated fluorescent dyes. Live cells labeled with the NBs were readily distinguished by flow cytometry. The NBs have a small and uniform size (ca. 27 nm in diameter), excellent biocompatibility, rapid cellular uptake, and low dye leakage. The fluorescent nanospheres were applied for long-term cell tracking during multiple rounds of cell division and monitored over 48 hours. While most nanospheres were endolysosome-targeting, modification with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) surprisingly lighted up the cell nucleus. This work lays the foundation of a unique family of functional nanomaterials promising for multiplex detection and other chemical and biological applications.