Article Title

Fluorophore-photochrome co-embedded polymer nanoparticles for photoswitchable fluorescence bioimaging

Authors

Tianshe Yang, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
Qian Liu, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
Shouzhi Pu, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China
Zesheng Dong, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
Chunhui Huang, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
Fuyou Li, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China

Keywords

Photoswithable imaging, polymer nanoparticles, fluorophore–photochrome, living cell

Abstract

ABSTRACT Photoswitchable polymer nanoparticles (ps-PNPs) have been constructed by emulsion polymerization through embedding an iridium(Ⅲ) complex, [Ir(bt)2(pic)] (bt = phenylbenzothiazole, pic = picolinate), as a fluorophore and a diarylethene derivative (DTE) as a photochrome. The ps-PNPs show reversible luminescence modulation with DTE switching using UV light in aqueous solution and even in living cells. Such luminescent modulation only occurred in polymer nanoparticles and not in a simple mixed solution with low concentrations of [Ir(bt)2(pic)] and DTE. The ps-PNPs displayed good cellular uptake and fast intracellular luminescence modulation by photoswitching, indicating the nanoparticles could be developed as photoswitchable luminescent probes for a diversity of bioimaging applications.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-012-0235-0

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Tianshe Yang,Qian Liu,Shouzhi Pu,Zesheng Dong,Chunhui Huang,Fuyou Li, Fluorophore-photochrome co-embedded polymer nanoparticles for photoswitchable fluorescence bioimaging. NanoRes.2012, 5(7): 494–503