Synthesis of functionalized polymer nano-particles as fluorescent probes for bio-imaging

• Main Author: Tan, Kian Meng
• Other Authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/60178
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The objective was to characterise and optimise the desolvation process of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) for the preparation of nano-particles for bio-imaging applications. Following on the desolvation process of protein, the resulting nano-particles were stabilised by the addition of varying amounts of glutaraldehyde(cross-linker). This report directed towards the synthesis of functionalized polymer nanoparticles as fluorescent probes for bio-imaging. Hence, number of method on the synthesis of fluorescence loaded BSA NPs were carried out. Synthesis of fluorescence loaded BSA NPs were carried out using the 3 step process, sonication, cross-linking and THF removal. Other parameter including reducing particle size, stirring process, using ethanol as a desolvating agent, abosorption and emission analysis were also carried out. The result has shown that using THF as a desolvating agent produce a particle size of less than 200nm. The result obtained implies that the brightness of the fluorescent-doped NPs is proportional to the number of encapsulated dye molecules.