Dragonfly-shaped near-infrared AIEgen with optimal fluorescence brightness for precise image-guided cancer surgery

Ji Qi; Xingchen Duan; Wenyi Liu; Ying Li; Yuanjing Cai; Jacky W Y Lam; Ryan T K Kwok; Dan Ding; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120036

Dragonfly-shaped near-infrared AIEgen with optimal fluorescence brightness for precise image-guided cancer surgery

Biomaterials. 2020 Jul:248:120036. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120036. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Authors

Ji Qi¹, Xingchen Duan², Wenyi Liu², Ying Li¹, Yuanjing Cai³, Jacky W Y Lam⁴, Ryan T K Kwok⁴, Dan Ding⁵, Ben Zhong Tang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Institute for Advanced Study, Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
³ Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Institute for Advanced Study, Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China. Electronic address: dingd@nankai.edu.cn.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Institute for Advanced Study, Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen, 518057, China; Centre for Aggregation-Induced Emission, SCUT-HKUST Joint Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China. Electronic address: tangbenz@ust.hk.

PMID: 32302802
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120036

Abstract

Organic near-infrared (NIR) emitters with simultaneously high absorption coefficient and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) are highly desirable for biomedical imaging yet seldom reported because these two aspects are usually contradictory. The conjugated planar structures exhibit strong absorption but the emission is seriously quenched in aggregate state, whereas the twisted unplanar molecules display opposite phenomena. Herein, we report a kind of dragonfly-shaped NIR aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) with both high absorption coefficient (6.24 × 10⁴ M^-1 cm^-1) and superior PLQY (51.2%) for precise image-guided cancer surgery. The compound possessing a conjugated structure with vibrational substitutes has been synthesized, in which the good conjugation enables strong absorption, and the molecular vibration affords AIE signature. Moreover, the nonfluorescent processes are significantly suppressed, making every effort to boost fluorescence. The highly bright and stable AIE nanoparticles warrant efficient in vitro cellular imaging and in vivo tumor imaging. Moreover, the fluorescence imaging-guided cancer surgery helps to precisely delineate tiny tumor nodules, significantly improving the cancer surgery outcome. This work will inspire more insights into the development of organic NIR emitters with high brightness for biomedical applications.

Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; High brightness; Image-guided surgery; Molecular vibration; Near-infrared.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Fluorescence
Fluorescent Dyes
Nanoparticles*
Neoplasms*
Odonata*

Substances

Fluorescent Dyes