FRET Modulated Signaling: A Versatile Strategy to Construct Photoelectrochemical Microsensors for In Vivo Analysis

Abstract

Microelectrode‐based electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors are promising candidates for in vivo analysis of biologically important chemicals. However, limited selectivity in complicated biological systems and poor adaptability to electrochemically non‐active species restrained their applications. Herein, we propose the concept of modulating the PEC output by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. The emission of energy donor was dependent on the concentration of target SO2, which in turn served as the modulator of the photocurrent signal of the photoactive material. The employment of optical modulation circumvented the problem of selectivity, and the as‐fabricated PEC microelectrode showed good stability and reproducibility in vivo. It can monitor fluctuations of SO2 levels in brains of rat models of cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion and febrile seizure. More significantly, such a FRET modulated signaling strategy can be extended to diverse analytes.

Interface Engineering of Bi‐Fluorescence Molecules for High‐Performance Data Encryption and Ultralow UV‐Light Detection

“…Tunable excited state luminescence, where a photoexcited material system precisely controls the outcome of the photophysical and photochemical properties of another emissive system, is a very promising strategy for the regulation of excited states correlated luminescence. [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] In such systems, emissions of organic chromophore at different excited states are probably controlled by optically excited neighboring photoactive species. To successfully implement such a strategy, a proper regulator is essentially needed.…”

Near‐infrared Responsive Photoelectrochemical Biosensors

“…Recently, Liu and Han et al developed a novel NIR PEC sensor for the in vivo detection of SO 2 , in which the output photocurrent was modulated by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process [13]. The working photoelectrode, SN/CdTe@MWNTs/ cSO 2 @UCNPs/NF, was prepared by the stepwise assembly of CdTe@MWNTs nanocomposite, cSO 2 /UCNPs, and Nafion (NF) on a microelectrode of steel needle (SN).…”

“…Furthermore, the combination of spectral and electrochemical analysis also provides a basis for developing diversified architectures and applications of PEC sensors, as well as endow PEC sensing with various advantages, including simplicity, speediness, low cost, and easy miniaturization. In the past decade, over one thousand scientific papers for PEC sensing have been published, the target analytes spanning ions [6][7], small molecules [8][9], DNA [10], proteins [11], cells [12], and even organisms [13].…”

Bipolar Modulation of the Ionic Circuit for Generic Organic Photoelectrochemical Transistor Logic and Sensor

“…[30][31][32] On the other hand, photoelectrochemistry (PEC), [33][34][35] making use of photon-to-electricity conversion, has enabled non-contact, remote-controlled, and even self-powered operation of various semiconductor devices interfacing the biological world. [36][37][38][39] Synergizing with PEC, BPE should also have unparalleled prospect due to its high compatibility with light and semiconductor species. Biorthogonal control of light with spatiotemporal resolution in the integrated system is further expected to promote the development of advanced optoelectronics such as OPECT.…”