Emissive compositions with internal standard and related techniques

Abstract

The present invention provides materials, devices, and methods related to determination of an analyte. In some embodiments, an analyte may be determined by monitoring, for example, a change in an optical signal of a luminescent material (e.g., particle) upon exposure to an analyte. The present invention may be particularly advantageous in that some embodiments may comprise an emissive species useful as an internal reference standard. Methods of the invention may also be useful in the quantitative determination of an analyte. In some cases, the present invention may allow for selective determination of an analyte.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 - 124 . (canceled) 
     
     
         125 . A method for quantitative determination of the concentration of an analyte, comprising:
 providing a particle comprising a polymer material and a species, wherein, upon exposure to a set of conditions, the polymer material has a first emission and the species has a second emission, wherein the maximum of the first emission and the maximum of the second emission are separated by at least 50 nm;   determining a first ratio between a characteristic of the first emission and a characteristic of the second emission;   exposing the particle to an analyte, wherein the analyte interacts with the polymer material to produce a third emission;   determining, upon exposure to said set of conditions, a second ratio between a characteristic of the second emission and a characteristic of the third emission, wherein the second ratio is different than the first ratio; and   determining the difference between the first ratio and the second ratio, thereby quantitatively determining the concentration of the analyte.   
     
     
         126 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the first ratio is a ratio between the luminescence intensity of the first emission and the luminescence intensity of the second emission, and the second ratio is a ratio between the luminescence intensity of the second emission and the luminescence intensity of the third emission. 
     
     
         127 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the luminescence intensity of the third emission is decreased relative to the luminescence intensity of the first emission. 
     
     
         128 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the luminescence intensity of the third emission is increased relative to the luminescence intensity of the first emission. 
     
     
         129 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the wavelength of the third emission is shifted relative to the wavelength of the first emission. 
     
     
         130 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the change is caused by a photoinduced charge transfer reaction between the particle and the analyte. 
     
     
         131 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the core comprises a polymeric material. 
     
     
         132 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the core comprises polystyrene, polyacrylate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl benzoate), poly(vinyl acetate), polyacrylamide, poly(vinyl butyral), polyurethane, polacetal, polycarbonate, polyester, polyether, polybutadiene, substituted derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         133 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the core comprises polystyrene. 
     
     
         134 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the outer layer comprises a polymer having the structure, 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein n is at least 1, E and E are optionally substituted aromatic groups, and B and E are absent, alkene, alkyne, heteroalkene, or heteroalkyne. 
     
     
         135 . A method as in  claim 134 , wherein B and E are each alkyne. 
     
     
         136 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the luminescent polymer comprises the structure, 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein Y 2  and Z 2  can be the same or different and are alkyl, heteroalkyl, or substituted derivatives thereof, or, Y 2  and Z 2  are joined together to form a ring. 
     
     
         137 . A method as in  claim 136 , wherein Y 2  and Z 2  are each ethylene glycol chains. 
     
     
         138 . A method as in  claim 136 , wherein Y 2  and Z 2  are each ethylene glycol chains substituted with a carboxylic acid group. 
     
     
         139 . A method as in  claim 125 , the particle further comprising a species having an emission, wherein the polymer material has a first emission and the species has a second emission upon exposure to a set of conditions, and wherein a characteristic of the first emission is affected by the analyte, if present, and the second emission is essentially unaffected by the analyte, if present. 
     
     
         140 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the characteristic is luminescence intensity. 
     
     
         141 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the species is a metal compound or a dye molecule. 
     
     
         142 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the species is europium. 
     
     
         143 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the maximum of the first emission is separated from the maximum of the second emission by at least 100 nm. 
     
     
         144 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the maximum of the first emission is separated from the maximum of the second emission by at least 125 nm. 
     
     
         145 . A method as in  claim 139 , wherein the maximum of the first emission is separated from the maximum of the second emission by at least 150 nm. 
     
     
         146 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the core comprises polystyrene and a plurality of europium atoms dispersed throughout the core. 
     
     
         147 . A method as in  claim 125 , further comprising a plurality of particles. 
     
     
         148 . A method as in  claim 147 , wherein the plurality of particles is dispersed within a support material. 
     
     
         149 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         150 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material comprises a hydrogel. 
     
     
         151 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material comprises a polyacrylamide, silicon hydrogel, polyethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylate, or combinations thereof, and the like. 
     
     
         152 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material comprises polyacryamide and poly(N,N′-dimethylenebisacrylamide). 
     
     
         153 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material is a semi-permeable material. 
     
     
         154 . A method as in  claim 148 , wherein the support material further comprises a quencher molecule attached to at least a portion of the support material via a linker such that the quencher molecule is not capable of interacting with the particle. 
     
     
         155 . A method as in  claim 154 , wherein the interaction between the analyte and the particle comprises cleavage of the linker such that the quencher molecule interacts with the particle to produce a change in the emission of the particle. 
     
     
         156 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the particle has a particle size between 0.001 and 10 microns. 
     
     
         157 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the particle has a particle size between 0.01 and 5.0 microns. 
     
     
         158 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the particle has a particle size between 0.01 and 3.0 microns. 
     
     
         159 . A method as in  claim 125 , wherein the particle has a particle size between 0.1 and 1.0 micron.