Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ChemiQS (Chemistry Meets Quantum Sensing: Towards Atomic Architectures Tailored for Diamond Probes)
Période du rapport: 2022-04-01 au 2024-03-31
WP1: Prototype of non-thermal plasma (NTP) generator in gas phase for direct ND etching in solution.
WP3: Relaxometry upgrade including addition of AOM for laser pulsing, APD, counter and delay generator (Fig1).
WP4-6: Safety training, Career Development Plan, project communication plan, seminar about the NV photo-physics, project-dedicated accounts facebook.com/ChemiQS twitter.com/QsChemi chemiqs.webnode.cz/
Months 4-6
WP1: Initial ND-modification experiments with NTP (Fig2) with varying diamond sample, various set of conditions, and different ambient gases.
WP3: Setup fully upgraded, instructions were demonstrated to the relevant IOCB employees
WP4-6: Progress meeting, training, eMRS Fall Meeting - invited speaker
Months 7-9
WP1: Following the NTP surface modification using FTIR (Fig3) and zeta potential.
WP2: Poly-glycerol for creation of the covalent ultrathin coatings of the ND probes.
WP4-6: Training, presentation at CEITEC, paper writing
Months 10-12
WP1: This WP has been successfully finished. NDs show longer T1 and T2 times, the NTP reaction is time-dependent and can be well controlled (Fig4).
WP2: Optimization of the ultrathin polymer coating of NDs. RAFT polymerization of NDs with responsive polymers.
WP4-6: Progress meeting, training, presentation at SBDD XXVII Hasselt
Months 13-15
WP2: ND polymer coating of 3-4 nm achieved. Synthesis of Cu-binding ligands. Modification of polymers with Gd3+ chelates (Fig5).
WP3: T1 measurement optimization.
WP4-6: Progress meeting, supervision of high school student, manuscript preparation
Months 16-18
WP2: Fusion of silica-coated-NDs with DOPC liposomes. ND azidation.
WP3: Effect of polymer on the T1 time. T1 measurements inside cells (Fig6).
WP4-6: Progress meeting, presentations at GRC Quantum Sensing conference and 75th Chemists Convention
Months 19-21
WP2: Preparation of the NDs with molecular beacons for sensing of nucleic acids.
WP3: Calibrated polymer-based probes (Fig7).
WP4-6: Student supervision, manuscript preparation
Months 22-24
WP3: Anchoring mechanism of NDs to substrate for colloidal T1 measurements. Calibration of probes for miRNA sensing (Fig8).
WP4-6: Progress meeting, project finalization
Overview:
The T1 setup was developed and was used to measure and calibrate the developed probes. The surface modification of NDs using NTP was carried out successfully resulting in prolongation of T1 and T2 times. A methodology to create minimal 2-4 nm polymer coating of NDs was established. Such probes show excellent colloidal stability and further enhanced spin properties. They were used to create series of specific sensors for metal ions, temperature and miRNA detection based on T1 relaxometry. The project resulted in 10 publications (3 published, 1 submitted, and 6 in preparation). The outcomes were further presented at several international conferences: eMRS, SBDD Hasselt, GRC Quantum Sensing, 75th Chemists Convention (NDNC and NPO Workshop in future), at IOCB seminar, in CEITEC as an invited talk. The work was further disseminated online via project dedicated webpage and social media channels, and on the NanoChem website.
Regarding intracellular applications, embedding NDs into different kinds of shells and coatings has been shown recently as a viable approach to improve colloidal stability. This project will innovate the current polymer coating methods by two-fold: 1) producing soluble probes even when additional ligands are attached, while simultaneously 2) keeping the distance from the probed spin as low as possible. Such approach is entirely unexplored. Selective detection and quantification: the use of established ion-selective ligands merged with ND probes for sensitive detection of paramagnetic ions is entirely new concept. Similarly, distance-dependent actuation of paramagnetic through molecular beacon is a new idea, which has not been applied to NDs and will bring original way to locally detect nucleic acids. The development of the selective detection of transition metals and small nucleotides will advance further the cell biology research and, additionally, the sensing concept can be then transferred to larger diamond crystal for the purpose of selective nanoscale-NMR, which is a highly-researched area of NV sensing.
Even though luminescent NDs are highly researched topic, this project brings novelty in terms of interdisciplinary approach, based on produce-test-repeat practice, which will give access to detection of potentially individual probed spins. Overall, the project aims to develop complex ND probes, that can be then modified for different sensing purposes and used as a versatile tool for localized live-cell quantum sensing.