Nanographenes: Ultrastable, Switchable, and Bright Probes for Super-Resolution Microscopy

Area of Science:

• Advanced optical microscopy
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy relies on blinking fluorophores.
• Existing fluorophores have limitations in stability and blinking properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce nanographenes as a new class of fluorophores for super-resolution microscopy.
• To evaluate the photophysical properties of nanographenes for imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nanographenes, a type of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and graphene quantum dot.
• Employed single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) for imaging.
• Characterized nanographenes' photophysical properties, including blinking and stability.

Main Results:

• Nanographenes exhibit intrinsic stochastic blinking in air.
• Demonstrated excellent fluorescence recovery and photostability over several months.
• Successfully generated 3D super-resolution images of silica nanocracks using nanographenes in SMLM.

Conclusions:

• Nanographenes are a promising new class of fluorophores for super-resolution microscopy.
• Their unique properties facilitate high-resolution imaging in biological and material sciences.
• Opens avenues for widespread adoption in advanced microscopy techniques.