Zhang Wen-Han, Hu Xiao-Xiao, Zhang Xiao-Bing
Molecular Sciences and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2016 Apr 27;6(5):81. doi: 10.3390/nano6050081.
The need for novel design strategies for fluorescent nanomaterials to improve our understanding of biological activities at the molecular level is increasing rapidly. Dye-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) emerge with great potential for developing fluorescence imaging techniques as a novel and ideal platform for the monitoring of living cells and the whole body. Organic dye-containing fluorescent SiNPs exhibit many advantages: they have excellent biocompatibility, are non-toxic, highly hydrophilic, optically transparent, size-tunable and easily modified with various biomolecules. The outer silica shell matrix protects fluorophores from outside chemical reaction factors and provides a hydrophilic shell for the insoluble nanoparticles, which enhances the photo-stability and biocompatibility of the organic fluorescent dyes. Here, we give a summary of the synthesis, characteristics and applications of fluorescent SiNPs for non-invasive fluorescence bioimaging in live cells and . Additionally, the challenges and perspectives of SiNPs are also discussed. We prospect that the further development of these nanoparticles will lead to an exciting breakthrough in the understanding of biological processes.
为了在分子水平上增进我们对生物活性的理解，对新型荧光纳米材料设计策略的需求正在迅速增长。染料掺杂的荧光二氧化硅纳米颗粒（SiNPs）作为一种用于监测活细胞和整个生物体的新型理想平台，在开发荧光成像技术方面展现出巨大潜力。含有机染料的荧光SiNPs具有许多优点：它们具有出色的生物相容性、无毒、高度亲水、光学透明、尺寸可调且易于用各种生物分子进行修饰。外部的二氧化硅壳层基质可保护荧光团免受外部化学反应因素的影响，并为不溶性纳米颗粒提供亲水性外壳，从而增强了有机荧光染料的光稳定性和生物相容性。在此，我们总结了用于活细胞中非侵入性荧光生物成像的荧光SiNPs的合成、特性及应用。此外，还讨论了SiNPs面临的挑战和前景。我们展望这些纳米颗粒的进一步发展将在生物过程的理解方面带来令人兴奋的突破。
