Stimulus responsive cross-linked AIE-active polymeric nanoprobes: fabrication and biological imaging application

Abstract

The combination of functional polymers and hydrophobic AIE dyes to prepare luminescent organic nanoparticles (LONs) with strong fluorescence, great water dispersibility and desirable biocompatibility have received numerous attentions for their potential applications in cell imaging and theranostics. Although great effort has been devoted to preparing AIE dye based LONs through both covalent and 10 noncovalent strategies, the fabrication of cross-linked AIE dye based LONs with stimulus responsive behavior has not been reported previously. In this work, the AIE dye based LONs were constructed via cross-linking aldehyde-containing polymers and AIE dye (2,2'-diaminotetraphenyl ethylene) with two amino groups through formation of Schiff base, which is a well known dynamic bond with pH responsiveness. After successful incorporation of the hydrophobic AIE dye into the copolymers, cross-15 linked core-shell lunminescent nanoparticles can be formed. The obtained AIE dye based LONs exhibited strong fluorescence and high water dispersiblity because the AIE dye was aggregated in the core and the hydrophilic polymers were covered on the shell. Biological evaluation results demonstrated that the AIE dye based LONs exhibited excllent biocompatibility and biological imaging properties. More importantly, these AIE dye based LONs exhibited desirable pH responsiveness, implied that these polymeric LONs are 20 potentially utilized for pH sensor and controlled drug delivery. Combination of the dynamic crosslinking and pH responsiveness, the obtained AIE dye based LONs should be of great significance for biomedical application.

Facile synthesis of AIE-active amphiphilic polymers: Self-assembly and biological imaging applications

“…We therefore conclude that F127-TMAC-PhNH2 FONs could enter into cells and mainly locate at cytoplasm. Because no targeting agents were functionalized on the surface of [34][35][36][37][38][39] In this work, the water dispersible and biocompatible AIE-active polymeric nanoprobes have been fabricated using a novel covalent strategy taken advantage of the different reaction activity of TMAC toward hydroxyl group and amino groups. As compared with previous reports, this method is rather simple and effective.…”

“…[29][30][31][32][33] To date, multifarious AIE active FONs with intensive luminescence, higher water dispersibility, uniform size, and superb biocompatibility have been fabricated based on the strategies including direct encapsulation by amphiphilic polymers, covalent conjugation reactions, controlled radical living polymerization, ring-opening reaction and formation of dynamic bonds. [34][35][36][37][38][39] These properties make AIE active polymeric nanoprobes promising candidates for bio-imaging applications in vitro and in vivo. [19,[40][41][42] Nevertheless, it is still a big challenge that such AIE dyes based self-assemble structures which are linear polymerization are usually unstable in dilute solution below the critical micelle concentration (CMC).…”

Preparation of PEGylated polymeric nanoprobes with aggregation-induced emission feature through the combination of chain transfer free radical polymerization and multicomponent reaction: Self-assembly, characterization and biological imaging applications

“…Since the first report of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon in 2001 by Tang et al, [28] numerous fluorescent biological probes based on AIE dyes such as siloles, [29][30][31][32] triphenylethene, [33][34][35] cyano-substituted diarylethene, [36][37][38][39] distyrylanthracene derivatives, [40,41] tetraphenylethene [42][43][44][45] and phenothiazine [46][47][48][49] have been synthesized and used to fabricate bioprobes for cell imaging and detection of heavy metal ions due to their unique AIE properties, strong fluorescence, fluorescent stability, multifunctional potential and low toxicity. Like many other organic dyes, the dyes with AIE feature are also composed with many hydrophobic aromatic rings.…”

One-step synthesis, self-assembly and bioimaging applications of adenosine triphosphate containing amphiphilies with aggregation-induced emission feature

“…[15,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] The unique AIE feature makes the possible fabrication of ultra-bright FONs using AIE-active dyes. [23,24,[29][30][31] Since the first report by Tang's group in 2001, AIE-active dyes have attracted extensive attention for biomedical applications. [32] Over the past several years, a large number of AIE-active dyes with different chemical structural characteristics have been discovered and utilized for fabrication of AIE-active FONs.…”

“…[32] Over the past several years, a large number of AIE-active dyes with different chemical structural characteristics have been discovered and utilized for fabrication of AIE-active FONs. [30,31,[33][34][35][36] However, to the best of authors" knowledge, the fabrication of AIE-active amphiphilies through one-pot multicomponent reaction has not been demonstrated.…”