Facile synthesis of a ratiometric oxygen nanosensor for cellular imaging

A new type of cell-penetrating ratiometric fluorescence oxygen sensing nanoparticle was prepared through a facile co-precipitation method. Amphiphilic polymer poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) was firstly cooperated with polystyrene (PS) to envelop the highly photostable phosphorescent oxygen indicator, platinum(II)-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (PtTFPP, emission at 648nm), and the reference fluorophore, poly(9, 9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO, emission at 440nm ), via hydrophobic interaction in aqueous solution. To improve the sensor biocompatibility, the biomacromolecule poly-l-lysine (PLL) was selected to act as a shell via electrostatic forces. The as-prepared PtTFPP doped core-shell nanoparticles (called PPMA/PLL NPs) exhibited an excellent ratiometric luminescence response to O2 content with high quenching efficiency and full reversibility in the oxygen sensing. More importantly, these oxygen nanosensors passed across the cell membrane after co-incubation without external force. Labeled cells exhibited high brightness in the matching blue and red channels of a digital camera. And most nanosensors were found locating in cytoplasm rather than being trapped in endosomes.