Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Concept Videos

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

4.0K
For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
4.0K
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

2.3K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Surface-Neutralized HgCdSe Quantum Dots for High-Detectivity Infrared Photodetectors.

Nano letters·2026
Same author

Quantum Dot Encoding for In-Solution Single-Molecule Biomarker Counting in Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Antibiotic Pollution Elevates Microbial Methylmercury Production.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Stable versus Labile Ligand Passivation on Silver Chalcogenide Nanocrystals.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Targeting macrophage glycogen metabolism attenuates ulcerative colitis by suppressing IL-1β production through UDPG-P2Y<sub>14</sub> signaling.

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

Discrete Cation Exchange in Ag-Au-S Quantum Dots Using Reactivity Engineered Cation Precursors.

ACS nano·2025
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging
17:14

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Published on: October 9, 2012

18.2K

Dynamic Polymer Cross-linking Limits the Homogeneity of Compact Quantum Dots for Single-Particle Tracking.

Opeyemi H Arogundade1,2,3,4, Chia-Wei Kuo1,2, Yuxiao Cui1,2

  • 1Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|August 29, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Quantum dots (QDs) form clusters (multimers) due to dynamic polymer cross-linking. These multimers bias single-particle imaging, but purification methods can improve QD quality for life science applications.

Keywords:
chromatographyconjugationimmunofluorescenceligandmolecular probeself-assemblysingle-molecule imaging

More Related Videos

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging
07:41

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: July 19, 2016

7.8K
Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels
11:34

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels

Published on: September 8, 2016

10.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging
17:14

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Published on: October 9, 2012

18.2K
Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging
07:41

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: July 19, 2016

7.8K
Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels
11:34

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels

Published on: September 8, 2016

10.4K

Area of Science:

  • Nanotechnology
  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Semiconductor nanocrystals called quantum dots (QDs) are crucial for single-molecule imaging in life sciences due to their stable and bright fluorescence.
  • Effective QD application requires compact, homogeneously dispersed single colloids, typically achieved through multidentate polymer coatings.
  • High-resolution analyses reveal QD clusters (multimers), which can significantly skew single-particle measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the formation mechanisms of QD multimers.
  • To understand the impact of multimers on QD performance in biological applications.
  • To develop strategies for mitigating multimer formation and improving QD quality.

Main Methods:

  • Chromatographic separation
  • Microscopy
  • Spectroscopy
  • Affinity measurements

Main Results:

  • Multimer formation is driven by dynamic, reversible polymer cross-linking, influenced by polymer concentration and free polymers.
  • QD multimers display heterogeneous brightness, increased protein-induced aggregation, and enhanced nonspecific cell binding compared to monomers.
  • These multimer-associated effects lead to biased single-particle measurements in live-cell imaging.

Conclusions:

  • QD multimers pose significant challenges for accurate single-particle analysis in biological systems.
  • Strategies such as purification, blocking binding groups, or adjusting electrostatic charge can reduce multimer presence.
  • Standardized reporting of nanoparticle concentration and purity is recommended for reliable characterization and application.