Unexpected enhancement of Förster resonant energy transfer thanks to quantum dots aggregation

Julie Hottechamps; Thomas Noblet; Alain Brans; Christophe Humbert; Laurent Dreesen

doi:10.1117/12.2577023

5 March 2021 Unexpected enhancement of Förster resonant energy transfer thanks to quantum dots aggregation

Julie Hottechamps, Thomas Noblet, Alain Brans, Christophe Humbert, Laurent Dreesen

Proceedings Volume 11659, Colloidal Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications XVI; 116590D (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2577023
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

Here we investigate Förster Resonant Energy Transfer (FRET) occurring between luminescent colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and fluorescent streptavidin molecules (FSA), chemically coupled thanks to N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and biotin. In some conditions, QDs are known to form agglomerates throughout their functionalization by NHS and biotin molecules. Thus, we wondered how this collective aggregation could influence the efficiency of FRET. Interestingly, this proves to enhance the energy transfer from QDs to FSA. In terms of detection threshold, aggregated-QD-based systems lead to a limit down to 5 nM, while it is up to 80 nM for non-aggregated ones. Therefore, these unexpected results evidence our ability to exploit QDs aggregation for the design of biosensing systems with lower and lower molecular detection thresholds. Unlike the common beliefs, QD agglomeration is an asset that we can benefit from in order to improve the performance of QD-based biosensors. As a counterpart, this requires a fine monitoring of the emission spectrum of QDs while they are aggregating. This is why we provide a complete characterization of the QD fluorescence throughout their chemical funtionalization with NHS and biotin, supporting that such precautions are mandatory. Further, we show it is necessary to distinguish hetero-FRET (between QDs and FSA) from homo-FRET (between QDs within a same aggregate) in order to avoid misleading interpretations.

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Julie Hottechamps, Thomas Noblet, Alain Brans, Christophe Humbert, and Laurent Dreesen "Unexpected enhancement of Förster resonant energy transfer thanks to quantum dots aggregation", Proc. SPIE 11659, Colloidal Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications XVI, 116590D (5 March 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2577023

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KEYWORDS

Quantum dots

Resonance energy transfer

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Molecules

Biosensors

Energy transfer

Luminescence

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