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Polystyrene@poly(ar-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium-co-acrylic acid core/shell pH-responsive nanoparticles for active targeting and imaging of cancer cell based on aggregation induced emission

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Abstract

Doubly charged pH-responsive core/shell hydrogel nanoparticles with green fluorescence were prepared and were shown to be viable bioprobes for active targeting tumor tissue and imaging of cancer cells. Via emulsionfree copolymerization hydrogel nanoparticles as VANPs were prepared, the core of which was polystyrene (Ps) and the shell was comprised of strongly positive electrolyte (ar-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium (VBTAC) with weak negative electrolyte acrylic acid (AA). Through conventional amidation, the shell was conjugated with cell-specific folic acid (FA), denoted as VANPs-FA. Then, negatively charged sulfonated 9,10-distyrylanthracene derivatives (SDSA) based on aggregation induced emission (AIE), was binding tightly to positively charged VBTAC of VANPs-FA shell. The prepared double charged fluorescent core/shell hydrogel nanoparticles abbreviated as VANPs-FS, showed excitation/emission wavelengths at ~420/528 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements were performed to determine the size and surficial zeta potential of VANPs-FS. Under proper ratio of VBTAC to AA, the VANPs-FS was stable (~ 64.63 nm, −20.2 mV) at high pH (> 7), started to aggregate (~ 683.0 nm, −3.2 mV) at pH around 6, and can redispers at low pH (< 5). The MTT analysis proved that VANPs-FS had good biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. The targeting effectiveness of VANPs-FS was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).

Detailed synthetic route of VANPs-FS (top) and schematic cancer tumor-target aggregation of pH-sensitive VANPs-FS with enhanced retention and rapid cancer cell imaging (bottom).

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Acknowledgements

We thank for the support from Prof. Tian Wenjing’s team. This work was supported by Jilin province science and technology development plan (Grant No. 20180201060SF) and ministry of science and technology (Grant No. 2018YFC1706603).

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Author notes

  1. Yu Zhao and Bo Pang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China

    Yu Zhao, Bo Pang, Lizhi Xiao, Wenhui Lian, Tianxia Sun & Yingnan Jiang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    Jie Chen, Hou Liu & Quan Lin

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  1. Yu Zhao
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Correspondence to Yingnan Jiang or Quan Lin.

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Zhao, Y., Pang, B., Chen, J. et al. Polystyrene@poly(ar-vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium-co-acrylic acid core/shell pH-responsive nanoparticles for active targeting and imaging of cancer cell based on aggregation induced emission. Microchim Acta 187, 166 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-4133-y

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