- Quinoxaline-based polymer dots with ultrabright red to near-infrared fluorescence for in vivo biological imaging
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This article describes the design and synthesis of quinoxaline-based semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) that exhibit near-infrared fluorescence, ultrahigh brightness, large Stokes shifts, and excellent cellular targeting capability. We also introduced fluorine atoms and long alkyl chains into polymer backbones and systematically investigated their effect on the fluorescence quantum yields of Pdots. These new series of quinoxaline-based Pdots have a fluorescence quantum yield as high as 47% with a Stokes shift larger than 150 nm. Single-particle analysis reveals that the average per-particle brightness of the Pdots is at least 6 times higher than that of the commercially available quantum dots. We further demonstrated the use of this new class of quinoxaline-based Pdots for effective and specific cellular and subcellular labeling without any noticeable nonspecific binding. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of Pdots were evaluated on HeLa cells and zebrafish embryos to demonstrate their great biocompatibility. By taking advantage of their extreme brightness and minimal cytotoxicity, we performed, for the first time, in vivo microangiography imaging on living zebrafish embryos using Pdots. These quinoxaline-based NIR-fluorescent Pdots are anticipated to find broad use in a variety of in vitro and in vivo biological research.
- Liu, Hong-Yi,Wu, Pei-Jing,Kuo, Shih-Yu,Chen, Chuan-Pin,Chang, En-Hao,Wu, Chang-Yi,Chan, Yang-Hsiang
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p. 10420 - 10429
(2015/09/01)
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- Prominent short-circuit currents of fluorinated quinoxaline-based copolymer solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 8.0%
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A tailor-made medium-band gap fluorinated quinoxaline-based conjugated polymer of PBDT-TFQ was designed and synthesized as a donor material for bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. This polymer is possessed of an intrachain donor-acceptor architecture and exhibits a broad and strong absorption spectrum across the entire UV-vis region. The introduction of F atoms with high electron affinity to the quinoxaline moiety is effective in further lowering both the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels of PBDT-TFQ to attain higher open-circuit voltage (Voc). With an optimized blend ratio of PBDT-TFQ:PC71BM (1:1, w/w), a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.0% was obtained, with a Voc of 0.76 V, a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 18.2 mA cm-2, and a fill factor (FF) of 58.1% under AM 1.5G irradiation. The resulting copolymer reveals an outstanding Jsc value, arising from the higher hole mobility of PBDT-TFQ, together with the better continuous percolation pathways within the polymer blend for efficient exciton dissociation and charge transport.
- Chen, Hsieh-Chih,Chen, Ying-Hsiao,Liu, Chi-Chang,Chien, Yun-Chen,Chou, Shang-Wei,Chou, Pi-Tai
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p. 4766 - 4772
(2013/03/13)
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