Optically tuneable chitosan nanoparticles for biomedical imaging application

Aim: In current study, Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) due to its non-toxic nature, tunability and biocompatibility has been used to conjugate Co6. The properties of this nano-composite are greatly impacted by the pH, exposure duration and concentration of solvent i.e., acetic acid. Thus, we have synthesised the optically tunable CSNPs with the optimized concentration of acetic acid. Methods: Furthermore, the ionic strength of nano-composite on the optical, molecular, and electronic properties were analysed via FTIR, DFT simulation, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular interaction analysis and dynamic simulations. Results: The energy band gaps show a significant reduction in nanocomposite CSNP-Co6 (2.44 eV for S1, 2.41 eV for S2 & S3 both) from individual components (i.e., 8.469 eV for CSNPs, 5.2 eV for acetic acid and 2.46 eV for Co6) conforming the dye conjugation within binding sites of CSNPs. Conclusion: The bioimaging study showed that Co6 dye conjugation does not impact the biological activity of the Co6. Moreover, it reduces the required Co6 concentration thus helping in dosage reduction leading to optimised bio-imaging evaluation.