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Red-emitting DPSB-based conjugated polymer nanoparticles with high two-photon brightness for cell membrane imaging
Peng Liu1,2, Shuang Li2, Yaocheng Jin1
1†Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 13, 2015
Summary
New red-emitting conjugated polymers were developed into nanoparticles for advanced cell membrane imaging. These nanoparticles exhibit high quantum yield and excellent photostability, enabling superior two-photon excitation fluorescence imaging in biological applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Two-photon absorption (TPA) materials are crucial for advanced fluorescence imaging.
- Developing efficient red-emitting probes for cell membrane visualization remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize novel red-emitting conjugated polymers incorporating TPA units.
- To fabricate water-dispersible polymer nanoparticles (NPs) for two-photon excitation (TPE) fluorescence imaging.
- To evaluate the performance of these NPs as probes for cell membrane imaging.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of conjugated polymers with TPA, electron-rich, and electron-deficient units.
- Fabrication of water-dispersible polymer nanoparticles (NPs).
- Characterization of photophysical properties, including quantum yield (QY) and TPA cross-sections.
- Cell membrane imaging experiments in three different cell lines.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized red-emitting conjugated polymers and water-dispersible NPs.
- Achieved a high QY of 24% for red-emitting NPs in water.
- Demonstrated high TPA cross-section values (up to 1000 GM per repeat unit) at 750 nm.
- Exhibited excellent photostability and biocompatibility of the NPs.
- Successfully visualized cell membranes with high contrast using TPE fluorescence imaging in three cell lines.
Conclusions:
- The developed polymer NPs are efficient red-emitting probes for TPE fluorescence imaging.
- These NPs show great potential for various biological applications, particularly in cell membrane visualization.
- The optimized NPs offer a promising platform for advanced bioimaging techniques.
