New publication: Decoding the blinking of fluorescent polymer nanoparticles
Interdisciplinary collaboration between chemists and physicists from Andrey Klymchenko's team— Deep Sekhar Biswas, Benjamin Boglio and Pascal Didier — and theorists from the University of Bologna: Giacomo Fanciullo, Silvia Bordoni and Ivan Rivalta, has made it possible to decipher the blinking mechanism of polymer nanoparticles loaded with dyes. This fascinating phenomenon is linked to the dynamic aggregation processes of dyes within the polymer matrix.
By combining:
• single-molecule microscopy,
• spectral analysis
• and theoretical modeling,
The study reveals that these fluorescence intensity fluctuations result from a subtle balance between:
• energy transfer,
• formation of emitting aggregates (J dimers)
• and non-emitting aggregates (H dimers).
These discoveries provide an in-depth understanding of the collective behavior of dyes in polymer matrices and pave the way for the design of more stable, luminous, and efficient fluorescent nanomaterials—with promising applications in light harvesting and biosensing.
The authors would like to thank the ANR, the ERC, the University of Strasbourg and the CNRS for their support.
Congratulations to all for this wonderful scientific synergy!
