Conjugated polyelectrolyte–lipid interactions: Opportunities in biosensing

Abstract

Fluorescent conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have attracted considerable interest over the past decade as novel materials for developing biosensing schemes and sensing devices for biomolecules. This interest stems from the exquisite polymer sensitivity to the presence of fluorescence quenchers, enabling amplified sensing of molecules of interest. Efficient energy transport along the polymer backbone is critical to their sensing capabilities. Considerable research efforts have thus gone into understanding and controlling energy transport along the polymer backbone. In particular, it has been shown that interactions between CPEs with either surfactants or lipid molecules may significantly reduce energy transport along the polymer backbone that in turn may provide for unique biosensing opportunities. In the first half of this review, we give a historical overview on energy transport in conjugated polymers and polyelectrolytes. In the second half, we summarize the most recent work on the interaction of CPEs with surfactants with an emphasis on our own work elucidating electronic energy transport in CPEs encapsulated into lipid vesicles or embedded within the membrane of lipid vesicles.