Issue 4, 2021

An easily synthesized AIE luminogen for lipid droplet-specific super-resolution imaging and two-photon imaging

Abstract

To obtain lipid droplets (LDs)-specific super-resolution cellular imaging and deep-penetrated tissue imaging, an imaging platform of DTPA-BT-M with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics for stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) microscopy was developed here. Benefiting from its excellent AIE properties, superior fluorescence properties in a deep-red region are observed for DTPA-BT-M with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 33.96% in the solid state. In addition, DTPA-BT-M also exhibits large Stokes’ shift, outstanding photostability, excellent biocompatibility and high LD specificity. Furthermore, a large two-photon absorption cross section of up to 1581 GM is also achieved in DTPA-BT-M due to its symmetrical D–A–D architecture. Therefore, the developed AIE luminogen is simultaneously applied in STED nanoscopy and TPF microscopy, leading to an ultra-high resolution (full width at half maximum value, FWHM = 95 nm) in DTPA-BT-M-stained LDs via STED nanoscopy and also a much deep penetration of ∼300 μm for lung tissue in BALB/C nude mice by TPF microscopy. The results here indicate that the easily synthesized DTPA-BT-M can be an impressive imaging platform for LDs-specific super-resolution cell imaging and two-photon tissue imaging, thus providing the possibility to further understand LDs' roles in the metabolic process in biological research.

Graphical abstract: An easily synthesized AIE luminogen for lipid droplet-specific super-resolution imaging and two-photon imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
09 Sep 2020
Accepted
07 Des 2020
First published
08 Des 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 1872-1883

An easily synthesized AIE luminogen for lipid droplet-specific super-resolution imaging and two-photon imaging

Y. Xu, H. Zhang, N. Zhang, R. Xu, Z. Wang, Y. Zhou, Q. Shen, D. Dang, L. Meng and B. Z. Tang, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 1872 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00682C

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