Issue 6, 2023

Ligand engineering of luminescent AuAg nanoclusters for targeted mitochondrial and brain imaging

Abstract

Developing luminescent probes for targeted subcellular mitochondrial and in vivo brain imaging is meaningful but very challenging. Herein we report the design of a novel luminescent AuAg nanocluster (NC)-based probe with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for targeted mitochondrial and brain imaging based on ligand engineering via conjugating (4-carboxybutyl)triphenylphophonium bromide (TPP) on the surface. Upon conjugating TPP with a mitochondria-targeting function, the as-designed AuAg NCs@TPP probe exhibits several merits such as ultrasmall size (<3 nm), strong luminescence with 610 nm emission, long luminescence lifetime (7.193 μs), amphiphilic surface chemistry, and excellent stability, which make it suitable for both targeted mitochondrial imaging and in vivo brain imaging of living mice. In addition, the AuAg NCs@TPP probe has also been demonstrated to have low cytotoxicity and good in vivo biocompatibility, which are helpful for biomedical applications. This study provides a “killing two birds with one stone” strategy for fabricating metal NC-based probes for both mitochondrial and brain imaging, which may stimulate more research activities in the design and biomedical applications of ultrasmall metal NCs.

Graphical abstract: Ligand engineering of luminescent AuAg nanoclusters for targeted mitochondrial and brain imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
07 ربيع الثاني 1444
Accepted
04 رجب 1444
First published
08 رجب 1444

Mater. Chem. Front., 2023,7, 1146-1152

Ligand engineering of luminescent AuAg nanoclusters for targeted mitochondrial and brain imaging

X. Pan, Z. Zuo, Z. Wang, G. Yang, H. Zhu, Y. Li and X. Yuan, Mater. Chem. Front., 2023, 7, 1146 DOI: 10.1039/D2QM01125E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements