Core/Shell Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Dye Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles for immunohistochemical staining and live cell imaging face challenges with low brightness and dye elution into physiological saline or buffer, limiting their application due to the difficulty in encapsulating a wide range of fluorescent dyes within thermosetting resins and the instability of thermoplastic resin-based particles.
Innovation Solution
The production method involves polymerizing monomers for thermoplastic resin synthesis in the presence of fluorescent dyes to create core particles, which are then coated with a thermosetting resin shell layer, allowing for a high amount of dye encapsulation and retention, thereby enhancing brightness and preventing dye elution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermosetting resin is used to encapsulate fluorescent dye, then dye elution is inhibited, but some fluorescent dyes cannot be easily encapsulated resulting in low brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The particle is divided into a core region and a shell layer. The core region uses a thermoplastic resin that can easily encapsulate various fluorescent dyes to ensure high brightness, while the shell layer uses a thermosetting resin to prevent dye elution. This segmentation allows each region to fulfill its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining thermoplastic resin (core) and thermosetting resin (shell). The thermoplastic resin provides good dye encapsulation properties for high brightness, while the thermosetting resin shell provides excellent dye retention. The combination of these two material types resolves the contradiction between brightness and dye retention.
2Ease of manufacture
If a thermoplastic resin particle is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but dye elution occurs into physiological saline or buffer
Solution Approach 1:
The particle structure is segmented into an inner core and an outer shell. The core uses thermoplastic resin for easy manufacture and good dye encapsulation, while the shell uses thermosetting resin to prevent dye elution into physiological saline or buffer. This segmentation allows the particle to benefit from both material types.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin shell layer of thermosetting resin is formed on the surface of the thermoplastic resin core. This shell acts as a protective barrier that prevents dye elution while maintaining the manufacturing advantages of the thermoplastic core. The shell is thin enough to not significantly increase manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If impregnation method is used to incorporate dye, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the amount of dye incorporated is small resulting in low brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent dye is incorporated into the thermoplastic resin core during the polymerization process itself, before the shell is formed. This preliminary incorporation allows a large amount of dye to be embedded in the core structure, ensuring high brightness. The subsequent shell formation then protects this high concentration of dye from eluting.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles with high brightness and improved light resistance, enabling effective immunohistochemical staining and live cell imaging without dye elution into water or culture media, allowing for prolonged observation and improved detection sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
coating the core particles with a shell layer composed of a thermosetting resin... preventing dye elution
Implementation Method 2
the shell layer composed of a thermosetting resin... whose dye does not elute into physiological saline or buffer
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of producing core/shell-type fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles for immunohistochemical staining or live cell imaging, the method including: the step 1 of polymerizing monomers for thermoplastic resin synthesis in the presence of a fluorescent dye and thereby preparing core particles composed of a thermoplastic resin containing the fluorescent dye; and the step 2 of coating the core particles each with a shell layer composed of a thermosetting resin. By the method of producing fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles according to the present invention, fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles having a high brightness, whose dye does not elutes into water, physiological saline, culture medium and the like, can be produced, and the fluorescent dye-containing nanoparticles can be effectively utilized in immunohistochemical staining and live cell imaging.