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Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Preparation of Functional Silica Using a Bioinspired Method
Published on: August 1, 2018
Fabrication of Protein A-Functionalized Silica-Encapsulated Carbon Dot Bioconjugates for Cellular Fluorescence
Yuheng Wang1, Lihong Cui1, Wenxin Yao1
1College of Basic Medical Science, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, Yichang Key Laboratory of Infection and Inflammation, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, Hubei, China.
Abstract:
Fluorescent probes are widely employed in biofluorescence analysis and biomedical imaging. In this study, uniform spherical silica-encapsulated silicon-nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (Si-MPD-CDs@SiO2) with a particle size of 24 ± 15 nm were prepared via a modified Stöber method. The nanocomposites were further carboxylated and covalently conjugated with Protein A to construct Si-MPD-CDs@SiO2@PA bioconjugates. The resulting nanoprobe was successfully applied for specific immunofluorescence labeling and imaging of immortalized mouse thymic epithelial cells (iTECs). Compared with commercial fluorescent secondary antibodies, Si-MPD-CDs@SiO2@PA exhibit multiple superiorities including low cost, facile preparation and purification, favorable surface modifiability, strong fluorescence emission, and high photostability. These results indicate that Si-MPD-CDs@SiO2@PA can serve as a promising fluorescent nanoprobe for targeted cellular imaging and related biomedical applications.

