Fluorogenic monomer activation for protein-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Bioconjugation
• Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Background:

• Fluorogenic atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) offers real-time detection of polymer formation via fluorescence.
• Advancing this technique for biodetection requires understanding probe activation mechanisms and initiating polymerization from biomolecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the mechanism of fluorogenic probe fluorescence activation.
• To demonstrate bioorthogonal, protein-initiated fluorogenic ATRP for biomolecular applications.

Main Methods:

• Monomer hydrogenation to investigate probe fluorescence.
• Surface conjugation of proteins with initiators for ATRP.
• Real-time fluorescence monitoring of polymerization from protein surfaces.
• Assessing assay performance in complex biological media.

Main Results:

• Monomer hydrogenation confirmed covalent enone attachment is key to probe quenching and fluorescence activation.
• Successful initiation of fluorogenic ATRP from bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates was achieved.
• Negligible background fluorescence was observed from unmodified BSA controls.
• Polymer formation was visualized in real-time in complex biological environments.

Conclusions:

• Aqueous fluorogenic ATRP is a robust, bioorthogonal method for biomolecular-initiated polymerization.
• Real-time fluorescence activation provides a sensitive detection mechanism.
• This technique holds potential for advanced biodetection and biomolecular analysis.