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Visible-light Excited and Highly Photostable Organic Fluorophore with dual-state Emission

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Abstract

Organic fluorophores with dual-state emission (DSE) are rare or difficult to observe because most of them display either aggregation-induced emission (AIE) or aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). Amazing works have been accomplished, yet most of the DSE compounds were excited by UV light which limits their wide application in bioimaging. In this work, we achieved a visible-light excited DSE fluorophore and realized its imaging in SKOV-3 cells and zebrafish. The naphtho[2’,3’:4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine (NIP) core ensures its emission in dilute solution. Meanwhile, the twisted phenyl ring blocks fluorescence quenching induced by the π-π stacking and leads to the emission of the solid. The fluorescence intensity is steady even after 6 h of continuous intense sunlight. More importantly, photostability of NIP in cells is much better than commercial dye (mitochondrial green).

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Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the online version.

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Funding

This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2021MB033), Incubation Program of Youth Innovation of Shandong Province, and the Innovative Research Programs of Higher Education of Shandong Province (2019KJC009).

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  1. Yongchao Li, Liqing Zhang and Xianfeng Meng contributted equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 619, Changcheng Road, Taian, 271016, Shandong, China

    Yongchao Li, Liqing Zhang, Xianfeng Meng, Guowei Shi, Wei Gao, Guiyun Duan & Yanqing Ge

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  1. Yongchao Li
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  2. Liqing Zhang
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Contributions

Yongchao Li, Liqing Zhang and Xianfeng Meng performed the experiments. Guowei Shi and Wei Gao helped with the characterization of the compounds. Guiyun Duan conducted the data analysis and wrote the paper. Yanqing Ge conceived and directed the project. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Guiyun Duan or Yanqing Ge.

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Li, Y., Zhang, L., Meng, X. et al. Visible-light Excited and Highly Photostable Organic Fluorophore with dual-state Emission. J Fluoresc 34, 829–832 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-023-03305-0

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