Facile tuning from blue to white emission in silica nanoparticles doped with oligothiophene fluorophores

Oligothiophenes (TFs) with blue, green and orange emission have been used for the first time as doping fluorophores of silica nanoparticles (SiO(2)NPs). High purification of the new nanoparticles (TFsSiO(2)NPs) from free molecular fluorophores was achieved by means of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation on-line combined with multi-angle light scattering and fluorescent detection (AF4-MALS-FD). The synthesis, structural, compositional and optical characterizations of the new TFsSiO(2)NPs are reported. We show that the tailored co-assembly of TFs in bi- and tricomponent TFsSiO(2)NPs allows for the fine-tuning of the emission of the nanoparticles from blue to white by means of FRET processes between adjacent TFs. These unique optical signatures make TFsSiO(2)NPs potentially effective tools for fluorescent sensing and labeling.