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Synthesis and Characterization of Ratiometric Ion‐Sensitive Polyelectrolyte Capsules
Author(s) -
del Mercato Loretta L.,
Abbasi Azhar Z.,
Parak Wolfgang J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201001144
Subject(s) - polyelectrolyte , characterization (materials science) , ion , materials science , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering
Micrometer‐sized polyelectrolyte capsules are synthesized, which have ion‐sensitive fluorophores embedded in their cavities. As the membranes of the capsules are permeable to ions, the fluorescence of the capsules changed with the ion concentration. In particular, capsules sensitive to protons, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions are fabricated and their fluorescence response analyzed. In order to allow for ratiometric measurements, additional fluorophores whose emission do not depend on the ion concentration and which emit a different wavelength are co‐embedded in the capsule cavities.