Duplex Phenotype Detection and Targeting of Breast Cancer Cells Using Nanotube Nanoprobes and Raman Imaging.

We designed, synthesized, and characterized a Raman nanoprobe made of dye-sensitized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that can selectively target biomarkers of breast cancer cells. The nanoprobe is composed of Raman-active dyes encapsulated inside a SWCNT, whose surface is covalently grafted with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at a density of ∼0.7% per carbon. Using α-sexithiophene- and ß-carotene-derived nanoprobes covalently bound to an antibody, either anti-E-cadherin (E-cad) or anti-keratin-19 (KRT19), we prepared two distinct nanoprobes that specifically recognize biomarkers on breast cancer cells. Immunogold experiments and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images are first used to guide the synthesis protocol for higher PEG-antibody attachment and biomolecule loading capacity. The duplex of nanoprobes was then applied to target E-cad and KRT19 biomarkers in T47D and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Hyperspectral imaging of specific Raman bands allows for simultaneous detection of this nanoprobe duplex on target cells without the need for additional filters or subsequent incubation steps. Our results confirm the high reproducibility of the nanoprobe design for duplex detection and highlight the potential of Raman imaging for advanced biomedical applications in oncology.

Luminescent studies of binuclear ternary europium(III) pyridineoxide tetrazolate complexes containing bis-phosphine oxide as auxiliary co-ligands.

A new class of antenna chromophores so called 'tetrazolates' have not been explored much for lanthanide luminescencent complexes. However, we have already published several articles considering pyridineoxide tetrazolates as sensitizer with lanthanide ions. Although this class of antenna attracted much less attention because of its poor photoluminescence quantum yields (tris-pyridineoxide tetrazolate europium complex = 13% in solution) we tried and successfully achieved to improve the photoluminescence quantum yields for this particular antenna molecule by replacing coordinated water from the inner coordination sphere of europium ion by introducing phosphine oxides as additional chromophore. In the present article the two bis-phosphine oxides attach two molecules of tris-pyridineoxide tetrazolate europium(III) complex which leads to the improvement of the overall molar absorption coefficients as well as photo-physical properties of the complexes. We found more than two-fold increase (31% in solution) in photoluminescence quantum yield with one of the coordinated phosphine oxides comparing with that of tris-pyridineoxide tetrazolate europium(III) complex.

Synthesis and photophysical studies of tetrazolate-based Eu(III) photoluminescent ternary complexes containing N-heterocyclic phosphine oxides auxiliary co-ligands.

Two new ternary tetrazolate Eu(III) complexes with phosphine oxide co-ligands Eu(PTO)3 ·(P1/P2) [PTO = 5-(2-pyridyl-1-oxide)tetrazole, P1 = diphenylphosphorylamino-phenylphosphoryl-benzene, P2 = diphenylphosphorylpyridine)-bis-isobutyricphosphoryl] were synthesized and characterized using UV, fluorescence, IR and (1) H NMR spectroscopic techniques. The analytical data prove that the complexes are mononuclear in nature and the central Eu(III) ion is coordinated by three N and three O atoms of tetrazolate, and two O atoms of the corresponding bidentate phosphine oxide ligands. The ancillary ligand increased the photoluminescence efficiency of Eu(PTO)3 ·P1 (complex 3) by twofold compared with our previously reported Eu(PTO)3 complex (complex 1). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.