Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection
Mechanical strain has been shown to be a versatile and tunable means to control various properties of nanomaterials. In this work, we investigate how strain applied to individual ZnO nanorods (NRs) can affect the fluorescence signals originated from external sources of bioanalytes, which are subsequ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Biosensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/14/2/85 |
| _version_ | 1797298787333439488 |
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| author | Marion Ryan C. Sytu Andrew Stoner Jong-In Hahm |
| author_facet | Marion Ryan C. Sytu Andrew Stoner Jong-In Hahm |
| author_sort | Marion Ryan C. Sytu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mechanical strain has been shown to be a versatile and tunable means to control various properties of nanomaterials. In this work, we investigate how strain applied to individual ZnO nanorods (NRs) can affect the fluorescence signals originated from external sources of bioanalytes, which are subsequently coupled and guided onto the NRs. Specifically, we determine how factors such as the NR length and protein concentration can influence the strain-induced changes in the waveguided fluorescence intensity along the NRs. We employ a protein of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and a fluorophore-labeled antibody in a model immunoassay reaction, after which Alexa488-TNF-α immunocomplex is formed on ZnO NRs. We elucidate the relationships between the types as well as amounts of strain on the NRs and the fluorescence intensity originated from the Alexa488-TNF-α immunocomplexes. We show that tensile (compressive) strain applied to the NR leads to an increase (decrease) in the waveguided fluorescence signals. By assessing important optical phenomena such as fluorescence intensification on nanorod ends (<i>FINE</i>) and degree of <i>FINE</i> (<i>DoF</i>), we confirm their linear dependence with both the types and amounts of strain. Furthermore, the strain-induced changes in both <i>FINE</i> and <i>DoF</i> are found to be independent of protein concentration. We determine that NR length plays a critical role in obtaining high strain-dependence of the measured fluorescence signals. Particularly, we ascertain that longer NRs yield larger changes in both <i>FINE</i> and <i>DoF</i> in response to the applied strain, relative to shorter ones. In addition, longer NRs permit higher linear correlation between the protein concentration and the waveguided fluorescence intensity. These outcomes provide valuable insight into exploiting strain to enhance the detection of optical signals from bioanalytes, thus enabling their quantifications even at ultra-trace levels. Coupled with the use of individual ZnO NRs demonstrated in our measurements, this work may contribute to the development of a miniaturized, highly sensitive biosensor whose signal transduction is best optimized by the application of strain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:40:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e35f54ba6d1a4551b0d3d55dac0598cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-6374 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:40:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biosensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-e35f54ba6d1a4551b0d3d55dac0598cf2024-02-23T15:09:32ZengMDPI AGBiosensors2079-63742024-02-011428510.3390/bios14020085Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based ImmunodetectionMarion Ryan C. Sytu0Andrew Stoner1Jong-In Hahm2Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, 37th & O Sts. NW., Washington, DC 20057, USADepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, 37th & O Sts. NW., Washington, DC 20057, USADepartment of Chemistry, Georgetown University, 37th & O Sts. NW., Washington, DC 20057, USAMechanical strain has been shown to be a versatile and tunable means to control various properties of nanomaterials. In this work, we investigate how strain applied to individual ZnO nanorods (NRs) can affect the fluorescence signals originated from external sources of bioanalytes, which are subsequently coupled and guided onto the NRs. Specifically, we determine how factors such as the NR length and protein concentration can influence the strain-induced changes in the waveguided fluorescence intensity along the NRs. We employ a protein of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and a fluorophore-labeled antibody in a model immunoassay reaction, after which Alexa488-TNF-α immunocomplex is formed on ZnO NRs. We elucidate the relationships between the types as well as amounts of strain on the NRs and the fluorescence intensity originated from the Alexa488-TNF-α immunocomplexes. We show that tensile (compressive) strain applied to the NR leads to an increase (decrease) in the waveguided fluorescence signals. By assessing important optical phenomena such as fluorescence intensification on nanorod ends (<i>FINE</i>) and degree of <i>FINE</i> (<i>DoF</i>), we confirm their linear dependence with both the types and amounts of strain. Furthermore, the strain-induced changes in both <i>FINE</i> and <i>DoF</i> are found to be independent of protein concentration. We determine that NR length plays a critical role in obtaining high strain-dependence of the measured fluorescence signals. Particularly, we ascertain that longer NRs yield larger changes in both <i>FINE</i> and <i>DoF</i> in response to the applied strain, relative to shorter ones. In addition, longer NRs permit higher linear correlation between the protein concentration and the waveguided fluorescence intensity. These outcomes provide valuable insight into exploiting strain to enhance the detection of optical signals from bioanalytes, thus enabling their quantifications even at ultra-trace levels. Coupled with the use of individual ZnO NRs demonstrated in our measurements, this work may contribute to the development of a miniaturized, highly sensitive biosensor whose signal transduction is best optimized by the application of strain.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/14/2/85ZnO nanorodstraincompressiontensionfluorescenceimmunodetection |
| spellingShingle | Marion Ryan C. Sytu Andrew Stoner Jong-In Hahm Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection Biosensors ZnO nanorod strain compression tension fluorescence immunodetection |
| title | Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection |
| title_full | Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection |
| title_fullStr | Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection |
| title_short | Strain-Modulated and Nanorod-Waveguided Fluorescence in Single Zinc Oxide Nanorod-Based Immunodetection |
| title_sort | strain modulated and nanorod waveguided fluorescence in single zinc oxide nanorod based immunodetection |
| topic | ZnO nanorod strain compression tension fluorescence immunodetection |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/14/2/85 |
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