Facile Synthesis of Efficient Luminogens with AIE Features for Three-Photon Fluorescence Imaging of the Brain through the Intact Skull

Abstract

Visualization of the brain in its native environment is important for understanding common brain diseases. Herein, bright luminogens with remarkable aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics and high quantum yields of up to 42.6% in the solid state are synthesized through facile reaction routes. The synthesized molecule, namely BTF, shows ultrabright far-red/near-infrared emission and can be fabricated into AIE dots by a simple nanoprecipitation procedure. Due to their high brightness, large Stokes shift, good biocompatibility, satisfactory photostability, and large three-photon absorption cross section, the AIE dots can be utilized as efficient fluorescent nanoprobes for in vivo brain vascular imaging through the intact skull by a three-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging technique. This is the first example of using AIE dots for the visualization of the cerebral stroke process through the intact skull of a mouse with high penetration depth and good image contrast. Such good results are anticipated to open up a new venue in the development of efficient emitters with strong nonlinear optical effects for noninvasive bioimaging of living brain.

Keywords: NIR-II excitation; aggregation-induced emission; cerebral thrombosis; intact skull; three-photon fluorescence imaging.