Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2025
11:28
3D Orbital Tracking in a Modified Two-photon Microscope: An Application to the Tracking of Intracellular Vesicles
Published on: October 1, 2014
10.4K
Subcellular Targeted Nanohoop for One- and Two-Photon Live Cell Imaging.
Terri C Lovell1, Sarah G Bolton1, John P Kenison2
1Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Materials Science Institute, Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States.
ACS Nano
|September 2, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed a novel carbon nanohoop (CNH) for intracellular imaging. This non-toxic CNH shows excellent photophysical properties and cellular uptake, advancing nanohoop applications in biological imaging.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Imaging
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offer attractive optical properties for biological imaging but face synthesis challenges.
- Carbon nanohoops (CNHs), macrocyclic CNT substructures, combine nanomaterial photophysics with precise small-molecule synthesis.
- Advancing CNHs as biological imaging agents requires further development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a novel, intracellularly targeted carbon nanohoop (CNH) fluorophore.
- To evaluate the CNH's biocompatibility, cellular uptake mechanisms, and imaging capabilities.
- To demonstrate the potential of CNHs for advanced biological imaging applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and functionalization of a targeted CNH.
- Assessment of CNH cytotoxicity and cellular uptake via endocytic pathways.
- Two-photon fluorescence imaging to evaluate photophysical properties (absorption cross-section, photostability).
Main Results:
- The developed CNH is noncytotoxic up to 50 μM.
- Cellular uptake occurs through endocytic pathways.
- The CNH exhibits a high two-photon absorption cross-section (65 GM) and comparable photostability to commercial probes.
Conclusions:
- The reported intracellularly targeted CNH is a promising fluorescent nanostructure for biological imaging.
- CNHs demonstrate significant potential as non-toxic, photostable imaging agents.
- This study encourages further research into CNH photophysics and their application in advanced imaging.
