Fluorescent Polymer Dyes with Charged Linkers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dimeric and polymeric fluorescent or colored dyes fail to achieve increased molar brightness due to intramolecular fluorescence quenching, limiting their effectiveness in sensitive detection applications.
Innovation Solution
Development of water-soluble dyes with two or more fluorescent or colored moieties covalently linked by a linker, including charged moieties to maintain spatial separation and reduce quenching, resulting in polymers with enhanced brightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If dimeric and polymeric compounds comprising two or more fluorescent or colored moieties are prepared to increase brightness, then the signal intensity should increase, but intramolecular fluorescence quenching occurs and reduces the actual brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the polymer structure into distinct segments: fluorescent or colored moieties are separated by charged spacing groups (linkers). This segmentation prevents direct interaction between adjacent chromophores that would cause quenching, while still maintaining the polymeric structure for enhanced brightness. The charged linkers act as physical barriers that enforce spatial separation between the light-emitting units.
Solution Approach 2:
The charged spacing groups serve as intermediary elements between the fluorescent or colored moieties. These linkers mediate the interaction by providing a charged barrier that prevents direct contact between adjacent chromophores, thereby eliminating the quenching effect while allowing the polymer to maintain its structural integrity and water solubility.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple charged moieties are included in the linker to maintain spatial separation between fluorescent or colored moieties, then intramolecular quenching is reduced, but the molecular weight and polymer complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the parameters of the linker by incorporating charged moieties (such as carboxylic acid groups) that can be adjusted in number and positioning. By changing the charge density and spacing in the linker, the patent optimizes the balance between preventing quenching and maintaining manageable polymer complexity. The charged groups provide electrostatic repulsion that enforces conformational separation without requiring excessively long or complex linkers.
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
The described dyes exhibit increased brightness and are intensely colored or fluorescent, enabling effective visual detection of analyte molecules without prior illumination, suitable for various analytical methods.
Implementation Method 1
the required separation between the fluorescent and/or colored moieties is maintained by including two or more charged moieties within or pendant to the linker linking the fluorescent and/or colored moieties. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that repulsion of the charged moieties results in a more linear or 'stretched' conformation for the polymers, thus maintaining sufficient spatial distance between the fluorescent and/or colored moieties to prevent or reduce intramolecular quenching
Implementation Method 2
two or more fluorescent and/or colored moieties covalently linked by a linker... the present dyes are significantly brighter than the corresponding monomeric dye compound
Implementation Method 3
Fluorescence and colorimetric methods are extremely widespread in chemistry and biology. These methods give useful information on the presence, structure, distance, orientation, complexation and/or location for biomolecules
Data Source
AI summary
Polymers comprising first and second fluorescent or colored moieties on the polymer backbone and two or more charged moieties on the polymer backbone between the first and second colored or fluorescent moieties are provided. The polymers are useful as fluorescent or colored dyes. Methods associated with preparation and use of such polymers are also provided.