Nature Communications (Nov 2017)

Intracellular localization of nanoparticle dimers by chirality reversal

  • Maozhong Sun,
  • Liguang Xu,
  • Joong Hwan Bahng,
  • Hua Kuang,
  • Silas Alben,
  • Nicholas A. Kotov,
  • Chuanlai Xu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01337-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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The ability to spectroscopically pinpoint whether nanoparticles are located inside or outside of cells represents an overarching need in biology and medicine. Here, the authors show that the chirality of DNA-bridged particle dimers reverses when they cross the cell membrane, providing a real-time chiroptical signature of their intra- or extracellular location.