The photophysics of polythiophene nanoparticles for biological applications
In this work the photophysics of poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (NPs) is investigated in the context of their biological applications. The NPs, made as colloidal suspensions in aqueous buffers, present a distinct absorption band in the low-energy region. On the basis of systematic analysis of...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150565 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | In this work the photophysics of poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (NPs) is investigated in the context of their biological applications. The NPs, made as colloidal suspensions in aqueous buffers, present a distinct absorption band in the low-energy region. On the basis of systematic analysis of absorption and transient absorption (TA) spectra taken under different pH conditions, this band is associated with charge-transfer states generated by the polarization of loosely bound polymer chains and originating from complexes formed with electron-withdrawing species. Importantly, the ground-state depletion of these states upon photoexcitation is active even on microsecond timescales, thus suggesting that they act as precursor states for long-living polarons; this could be beneficial for cellular stimulation. Preliminary transient absorption microscopy results for NPs internalized within the cells reveal the presence of long-living species, further substantiating their relevance in biointerfaces. |
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