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Fluorescent AIE dots encapsulated organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles for two-photon cellular imaging

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  • Special Topic Aggregated-Induced Emission
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Abstract

2,3-Bis(4-(phenyl(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)amino)phenyl) fumaronitrile (TPE-TPA-FN or TTF), which possesses aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic, is doped in organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles. By increasing the weight ratio of TTF to the precursor of silica nanoparticles (the quantities of the precursors were kept the same), the fluorescence intensity of nanoparticles increased correspondingly, due to the formation of larger AIE dots in the cores of ORMOSIL nanoparticles. The fluorescent and biocompatible nanoprobes were then utilized for in vitro imaging of HeLa cells. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy clearly illustrated that the nanoparticles have the capacity of nucleus permeability, as well as cytoplasm staining towards tumor cells. Our experimental results may offer a promising method for fast and bright fluorescence imaging, as well as bio-molecule/drug delivery to cell nucleus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Sensing Technologies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    ZhenFeng Zhu & Jun Qian

  2. Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    XinYuan Zhao, GuangDi Chen & ZhengPing Xu

  3. Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Wei Qin

Authors
  1. ZhenFeng Zhu
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  2. XinYuan Zhao
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  3. Wei Qin
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  4. GuangDi Chen
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  5. Jun Qian
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  6. ZhengPing Xu
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Correspondence to Jun Qian.

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Zhu, Z., Zhao, X., Qin, W. et al. Fluorescent AIE dots encapsulated organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles for two-photon cellular imaging. Sci. China Chem. 56, 1247–1252 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-013-4943-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-013-4943-4

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