Iron oxide containing conjugated polymer nanoparticles are water-soluble nanoparticles compromising of light-emitting polymer and iron oxide. The presence of iron oxide in core makes these fluorescent nanoparticles distinctly different than conventional dyes as it allows their manipulation with a magnetic field. These nanoparticles possess a ′core-shell′ structure where light-emitting polymer and iron oxide are encapsulated in biocompatible surfactant.

The ′core-shell′ structure consisting of polymer and iron oxide in the core and the biocompatible surfactant in the surrounding shell allows easy covalently bonding of these nanoparticles with biomolecules such streptavidin, antibodies, proteins, nucleic acids, etc and make them suitable for the following applications:

• Fluorescence Microscopy (high content screening, live cell tracking and 3-D cell imaging)
• Immunohistochemistry and Immunocytochemistry
• Flow Cytometry
• Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs)
• Tissue Imaging
• 2-Photon Imaging
• NIR Imaging

The robustness of CPNs enables them to be used under high intensity illumination and in extreme experimental conditions if required, while their 24-month shelf-life permits convenient storage at ambient temperatures.