Sensing Applications of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Imaging Spectroscopy in Live Cells

The intrinsic near-infrared photoluminescence from an individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) can be detected within a live cell with epifluorescence emission. As the emission spectrum of a SWCNT is exquisitely modulated by its immediate microenvironment, information contained in the peak emission wavelength, intensity, and full width half maximum can reflect physicochemical properties of the microenvironment. We have developed a hyperspectral imaging platform for spatially localizing the spectra from individual SWCNTs within live cells. Thus, by spatially localizing a polymer-functionalized SWCNT to a subcellular organelle, and measuring the spectral response to its environment, we demonstrate the use of single SWCNT spectroscopy to quantify specific metabolites in live cells.