Soluble silicon nanoparticles–polyaniline capsules for biosensing and imaging

We used miniemulsion to synthesize novel water-soluble dispersion of nanocapsules with a polyaniline (PANI) shell and luminescent ultrasmall Si nanoparticle core with diameters of 50–300 nm. The capsules are functionalized with aromatic sulfonic acid. The capsules may be reconstituted in thin films or structured surfaces. The stability of the luminescence and dispersion of the capsules is studied under a wide range of pH conditions. The multiplicity of nanoparticles in the core provides highly amplified and reproducible signal for luminescence-based imaging using standard fluorescence microscopy, while the PANI shell allows a variety of routes for functionalization as well as electrical interrogation, which enables a wide range of biosensing/imaging applications.