Persistent luminescence without excitation light and tissue autofluorescence interference holds great promise for biological applications, but is limited by available materials with long-wavelength emission and excellent clinical potential. Here, we report that porphyrin derivatives can emit near-infrared persistent luminescence over 60 min after cessation of excitation light or on interaction with peroxynitrite. A plausible mechanism of the successive oxidation of vinylene bonds was demonstrated. A supramolecular probe with a β-sheet structure was constructed to enhance the tumor targeting ability and the photoacoustic and persistent luminescence signals. Such probes featuring light-triggered function transformation from photoacoustic imaging to persistent luminescence imaging permit advanced image-guided cancer surgery. Furthermore, peroxynitrite-activated persistent luminescence of the supramolecular probe also enables rapid and precise screening of immunogenic cell death drugs.
Keywords: Drug Screening; Image-Guided Surgery; Persistent Luminescence; Porphyrin Derivatives; Supramolecular Self-Assembly.
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