421 research outputs found

    Non-radiative resonance energy transfer in bi-polymer nanoparticles of fluorescent conjugated polymers

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.his work demonstrates the comparative studies of non-radiative resonance energy transfer in bi-polymer nanoparticles based on fluorescent conjugated polymers. For this purpose, poly[(9,9-dihexylfluorene) (PF) as a donor (D) and poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) as an acceptor (A) have been utilized, from which four different bi-polymer nanoparticle systems are designed and synthesized. Both, steady-state fluorescence spectra and time-resolved fluorescence measurements indicate varying energy transfer efficiencies from the host polymer PF to the acceptor polymer MEH-PPV depending on the D-A distances and structural properties of the nanoparticles. The first approach involves the preparation of PF and MEH-PPV nanoparticles separately and mixing them at a certain ratio. In the second approach, first PF and MEH-PPV solutions are mixed prior to nanoparticle formation and then nanoparticles are prepared from the mixture. Third and fourth approaches involve the sequential nanoparticle preparation. In the former, nanoparticles are prepared to have PF as a core and MEH-PPV as a shell. The latter is the reverse of the third in which the core is MEH-PPV and the shell is PF. The highest energy transfer efficiency recorded to be 35% is obtained from the last system, in which a PF layer is sequentially formed on MEH-PPV NPs. © 2010 Optical Society of America

    Observation of Selective Plasmon-Exciton Coupling in Nonradiative Energy Transfer: Donor-Selective versus Acceptor-Selective

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report selectively plasmon-mediated nonradiative energy transfer between quantum dot (QD) emitters interacting with each other via Forster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) under controlled plasmon coupling either to only the donor QDs (i.e., donor-selective) or to only the acceptor QDs (i.e., acceptor-selective). Using layer-by-layer assembled colloidal QD nanocrystal solids with metal nanoparticles integrated at carefully designed spacing, we demonstrate the ability to enable/disable the coupled plasmon-exciton (plexciton) formation distinctly at the donor (exciton departing) site or at the acceptor (exciton feeding) site of our choice, while not hindering the donor exciton-acceptor exciton interaction but refraining from simultaneous coupling to both sites of the donor and the acceptor in the FRET process.. In the case of donor-selective plexciton, we observed a substantial shortening in the donor QD lifetime from 1.33 to 0.29 ns as a result of plasmon-coupling to the donors and the FRET-assisted exciton transfer from the donors to the acceptors, both of which shorten the donor lifetime. This consequently enhanced the acceptor emission by a factor of 1.93. On the other hand, in the complimentary case of acceptor-selective plexciton, we observed a 2.70-fold emission enhancement in the acceptor QDs, larger than the acceptor emission enhancement of the donor-selective plexciton, as a result of the combined effects of the acceptor plasmon coupling and the FRET-assisted exciton feeding. Here we present the comparative results of theoretical modeling of the donor- and acceptor-selective plexcitons of nonradiative energy transfer developed here for the first time, which are in excellent agreement with the systematic experimental characterization. Such an ability to modify and control energy transfer through mastering plexcitons is of fundamental importance, opening up new applications for quantum dot embedded plexciton devices along with the development of new techniques in FRET-based fluorescence microscopy

    Peptide-Mediated Constructs of Quantum Dot Nanocomposites for Enzymatic Control of Nonradiative Energy Transfer

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.A bottom-up approach for constructing colloidal semiconductor quantum dot (QDot) nanocomposites that facilitate nonradiative Forster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) using polyelectrolyte peptides was proposed and realized. The electrostatic interaction of these polypeptides with altering chain lengths was probed for thermodynamic, structural, and morphological aspects. The resulting nanocomposite film was successfully cut with the protease by digesting the biomimetic peptide layer upon which the QDot assembly was constructed. The ability to control photoluminescence decay lifetime was demonstrated by proteolytic enzyme activity, opening up new possibilities for biosensor applications

    Quantum efficiency enhancement in film by making nanoparticles of polyfluorene

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.We report on conjugated polymer nanoparticles of polyfluorene that were formed to exhibit higher fluorescence quantum efficiency in film (68%) and reduce undesired emission peak wavelength shifts in film (by 20 nm), compared to the solid-state polymer thin film made directly out of the same polymer solution without forming nanoparticles. Using the facile reprecipitation method, solutions of poly[9,9-dihexyl-9H-fluorene] in THF were added at different volume ratios to obtain different size distributions of nanoparticle dispersions in water. This allowed us to control the sizedependent optical emission of our polyfluorene nanoparticles. Such organic nanoparticles hold great promise for use as efficient emitters in optoelectronic device applications. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America

    Anisotropic Emission from Multilayered Plasmon Resonator Nanocomposites of Isotropic Semiconductor Quantum Dots

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.We propose and demonstrate a nanocomposite localized surface plasmon resonator embedded into an artificial three-dimensional construction. Colloidal semiconductor quantum dots are assembled between layers of metal nanoparticles to create a highly strong plasmon-exciton interaction in the plasmonic cavity. In such a multilayered plasmonic resonator architecture of isotropic CdTe quantum dots, we observed polarized light emission of 80% in the vertical polarization with an enhancement factor of 4.4, resulting in a steady-state anisotropy value of 0.26 and reaching the highest quantum efficiency level of 30% ever reported for such CdTe quantum dot solids. Our electromagnetic simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental characterization data showing a significant emission enhancement in the vertical polarization, for which their fluorescence decay lifetimes are substantially shortened by consecutive replication of our unit cell architecture design. Such strongly plasmon-exciton coupling nanocomposites hold great promise for future exploitation and development of quantum dot plasmonic biophotonics and quantum dot plasmonic optoelectronics

    White emitting polyfluorene functionalized with azide hybridized on near-UV light emitting diode for high color rendering index

    Get PDF
    Cataloged from PDF version of article.We develop and demonstrate high-quality white light generation that relies on the use of a single-type simple conjugated polymer of polyfluorene functionalized with azide groups (PFA) integrated on a near-UV LED platform. The high-quality white emission from the polyfluorene is achieved by using the azide functionalization to facilitate cross-linking intentionally when cast into solid-state form. Hybridized on n-UV InGaN/GaN LED at 378 nm, the PFA emitters collectively generate a very broad down-converting photoluminescence at longer wavelengths across the entirety of the visible spectrum, yielding high color rendering indices up to 91. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America

    Investigation of temporal bone asymmetry in cases with unilateral tinnitus: morphometric and multicentric clinical study

    Get PDF
    The aim of this multicentric study was to compare the anatomical structures of temporal bone in patients with unilateral tinnitus with their healthy ears. We also aimed at evaluating whether age and gender-related asymmetrical changes occur in temporal bones or not. Fifty two ears of 26 patients who had unilateral tinnitus were included into the retrospective study. The patients who had subjective nonpulsatile tinnitus and who previously had temporal computed tomography according to their file records were accepted to study. Temporal CT scans and audiometric results of patients were examined retrospectively. Middle ear volume, diameter of internal acoustic meats and diameter of jugular bulb were evaluated by both anatomist and radiologist, interobserverly. Internal acoustic meats and jugular bulb were found larger in the ears that had tinnitus than healthy ears; however, there was no statistically significance. The stereological morphometrical study of temporal bone asymmetry in humans correlate with sex is of importance for both otolarygologs and anatomists. These results will contribute to data on middle ear volume, internal acustic meats and jugular bulb sizes

    Characterization of a novel zebrafish (Danio rerio) gene, wdr81, associated with cerebellar ataxia, mental retardation and dysequilibrium syndrome (CAMRQ)

    Get PDF
    Background: WDR81 (WD repeat-containing protein 81) is associated with cerebellar ataxia, mental retardation and disequilibrium syndrome (CAMRQ2, [MIM 610185]). Human and mouse studies suggest that it might be a gene of importance during neurodevelopment. This study aimed at fully characterizing the structure of the wdr81 transcript, detecting the possible transcript variants and revealing its expression profile in zebrafish, a powerful model organism for studying development and disease. Results: As expected in human and mouse orthologous proteins, zebrafish wdr81 is predicted to possess a BEACH (Beige and Chediak-Higashi) domain, a major facilitator superfamily domain and WD40-repeats, which indicates a conserved function in these species. We observed that zebrafish wdr81 encodes one open reading frame while the transcript has one 5' untranslated region (UTR) and the prediction of the 3' UTR was mainly confirmed along with a detected insertion site in the embryo and adult brain. This insertion site was also found in testis, heart, liver, eye, tail and muscle, however, there was no amplicon in kidney, intestine and gills, which might be the result of possible alternative polyadenylation processes among tissues. The 5 and 18 hpf were critical timepoints of development regarding wdr81 expression. Furthermore, the signal of the RNA probe was stronger in the eye and brain at 18 and 48 hpf, then decreased at 72 hpf. Finally, expression of wdr81 was detected in the adult brain and eye tissues, including but not restricted to photoreceptors of the retina, presumptive Purkinje cells and some neurogenic brains regions. Conclusions: Taken together these data emphasize the importance of this gene during neurodevelopment and a possible role for neuronal proliferation. Our data provide a basis for further studies to fully understand the function of wdr81. © 2015 Doldur-Balli et al
    corecore