Themed collection JMC B Editor’s choice web collection: ‘‘seeing the unseen updated: advances in bioimaging’’

Xiaogang Qu introduces a Journal of Materials Chemistry B Editor's choice web collection on advances in bioimaging (http://rsc.li/BioimagingAdvances).

Shining a light on spectrally converting lanthanide (Ln³⁺)-doped nanoparticles: progress, trends, and challenges in Ln³⁺-nanoprobes for near-infrared bioimaging, nanothermometry, and photodynamic therapy.

This review summarized the recent progress in the synthesis, characterization, properties, photoluminescence mechanism and biological applications of carbon dots.

Surface engineering of carbon dots and their applications in targeting sensing, accurate drug delivery and high resolution bioimaging are highlighted.

A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift was developed for biothiol detection and application in in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging.

Sodium polysulfides (Na₂S_n, n > 1) as important raw materials in the chemical industry can afford hydrogen polysulfides (H₂S_n, n > 1) under physiological conditions.

We outline the rational design, synthesis, optical property studies, and biological imaging studies of a unique family of two-photon full-color-tunable functional fluorescent materials.

A novel NIR absorbing aza-BODIPY photosensitizer with high ¹O₂ quantum yield and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency was designed for synergistic phototherapy.

A fixable probe, named Vis-A, to quantify mitochondrial viscosity of living cells by fluorescence lifetime imaging.

A novel ratiometric probe (RCP) for ⁻OCl was developed based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) platform.

A high-performance fluorescence (FL)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging probe is synthesized by doping Gd³⁺ into carbon quantum dots via a one-pot pyrolysis process, and its dual-modality applications are demonstrated by the use of HeLa cells and mice as models.

In vivo imaging of deep tumor in nude-mice was successfully demonstrated using highly efficient ZnMoO₄:Tm³⁺,Yb³⁺,K⁺ nano-phosphors and an 810 nm NIR laser.

Scalable methods for preparing and modifying Au–SiO₂ core–shell nanoparticles provide a platform for engineering size-dependent multifunctional properties for in vivo biomedical applications.

More TPE-CS/HA nanoparticles are endocytosed by culture for a long time, resulting in a much stronger fluorescence emission.

A novel pyrano[3,2-c]julolidin-2-one based fluorescent molecular rotor PYJO4 has been designed and developed for selective ratiometric detection, quantification and imaging of intracellular Hg²⁺ in live cells.

{Mo₆I₈}@SiO₂ nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

We have developed the first small-molecule based, lysosomal-targeted ratiometric fluorescent HClO probe (Lyso-HA). Fluorescence imaging shows that it is suitable for ratiometric visualization of exogenous and endogenous HClO at lysosomes in living cells.

A one-pot strategy has been developed for the preparation of stimuli responsive AIE active glucan through formation of a dynamic Schiff base and a phenyl borate.

In the current study, we present a new and facile synthesis of N doped C-dots (N@C-dots) by hydrothermally reacting an aqueous solution of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) for imaging of live mammalian cells.

Five rationally designed benzoxazole-based two photon absorption compounds were reported and their structure–property relationships were summarized clearly.

A dual-color organelle-specific probe with the AIE feature for mitochondria and nucleolus is developed. Due to the different interactions with mitochondrial membrane and nucleic acids, distinct emission colors from mitochondria and nucleolus are observed under a fluorescence microscope.