Synthesis and Fluorescent Thermoresponsive Properties of Tetraphenylethylene-Labeled Methylcellulose

Functional polymer, especially the one based on renewable and sustainable materials, has attracted increasing attention to satisfy the growing demand for the design of stimuli-responsive devices. Methylcellulose (MC) is a water-soluble derivative of cellulose, which has been widely used in many fields for its biocompatibility and biological inertness. In this work, MC is labeled by tetraphenylethylene (TPE) via azide-alkyne click reaction to obtain a fluorescent cellulose-based derivative of MC-TPE. The degree of substitution of MC-TPE is determined to be 0.074, which can be self-assembled into micelles in water with the size of 42 ± 6 nm. MC-TPE shows thermoresponsivity and thermoreversibility in size, transmittance, and fluorescence, enabling it to work as a fluorescent thermosensor. Moreover, MC-TPE exhibits nontoxicity and biocompatibility, allowing its application in MCF-7 cell imaging. Therefore, this newly functional natural polymer shows promising potentials in the fields of sensing and bioimaging.