Förster Resonance Energy Transfer between Quantum Dot Donors and Quantum Dot Acceptors

Sensors

Kenny F. Chou¹  Allison M. Dennis³  Niko Hildebrandt²  Igor Medintz² 

[1] Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; E-Mail;Department of Biomedical Engineering and Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA

关键词: Förster resonance energy transfer;    FRET;    semiconductor quantum dots;    biosensing;    resonance energy transfer;    crosstalk;    solar harvesting;   

DOI  :  10.3390/s150613288

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Förster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer amongst semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is reviewed, with particular interest in biosensing applications. The unique optical properties of QDs provide certain advantages and also specific challenges with regards to sensor design, compared to other FRET systems. The brightness and photostability of QDs make them attractive for highly sensitive sensing and long-term, repetitive imaging applications, respectively, but the overlapping donor and acceptor excitation signals that arise when QDs serve as both the donor and acceptor lead to high background signals from direct excitation of the acceptor. The fundamentals of FRET within a nominally homogeneous QD population as well as energy transfer between two distinct colors of QDs are discussed. Examples of successful sensors are highlighted, as is cascading FRET, which can be used for solar harvesting.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.