Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 22: Bioimaging

BP 22.6: Talk

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 16:45–17:00, H46

Near infrared fluorescent silicate nanosheets for Bioimaging — •Bjoern F. Hill and Sebastian Kruss — Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochu, Germany

Fluorophores emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) are highly advantageous in photonics and biosensing due to reduced light scattering, low phototoxicity, and minimal autofluorescence in this spectral region.

Egyptian Blue (CaCuSi4O10) combines properties that make it a promising material for bioimaging and -photonics: It exhibits bright and stable NIR fluorescence (λ_em=935 nm), its layered structure enables exfoliation into 2D nanosheets (EB-NS), additionally it features a high quantum yield, proven biocompatibility and low production costs.

We present a surfactant-assisted exfoliation route to produce monodisperse EB-NS, tailored to nm-scale diameters, with thicknesses as low as single monolayers, while retaining their NIR fluorescence [1].

Addidionally, we demonstrate the integration of EB-NS with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to create a ratiometric fluorescence sensor for dopamine. This sensor achieves robust, non-invasive imaging of neurotransmitter release from live cells, while the remarkable stability of the EB-NS fluorescence compensates for environmental fluctuations and enhances measurement reliability [2].

In summary, EB-NS represent a novel, accessible, and highly stable NIR fluorescent nanomaterial with broad applications in bioimaging and -photonics.

[1] B. Hill, et. al., RSC Adv., 2023,13, 20916-20925

[2] B. Hill, J. Mohr, et.al., Nanoscale, 2024,16, 18534-18544