Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

NIR-II Excitation and NIR-I Emission Based Two-photon Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopic Imaging Using Aggregation-induced Emission Dots

  • Article
  • Published:
Chemical Research in Chinese Universities Aims and scope

Abstract

Near-infrared(NIR) lights are powerful tools to conduct deep-tissue imaging since NIR-I wavelengths hold less photon absorption and NIR-II wavelengths serve low photon scattering in the biological tissues compared with visible lights. Two-photon fluorescence lifetime microscopy(2PFLM) can utilize NIR-II excitation and NIR-I emission at the same time with the assistance of a well-designed fluorescent agent. Aggregation induced emission(AIE) dyes are famous for unique optical properties and could serve a large two-photon absorption(2PA) cross-section as aggregated dots. Herein, we report two-photon fluorescence lifetime microscopic imaging with NIR-II excitation and NIR-I emission using a novel deep-red AIE dye. The AIE-gens held a 2PA cross-section as large as 1.61×104 GM at 1040 nm. Prepared AIE dots had a two-photon fluorescence peak at 790 nm and a stable lifetime of 2.2 ns under the excitation of 1040 nm femtosecond laser. The brain vessels of a living mouse were vividly reconstructed with the two-photon fluorescence lifetime information obtained by our home-made 2PFLM system. Abundant vessels as small as 3.17 µm were still observed with a nice signal-background ratio at the depth of 750 µm. Our work will inspire more insight into the improvement of the working wavelength of fluorescent agents and traditional 2PFLM.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Qian J., Fu T., Zhan Q., He S., IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 2010, 16(3), 672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Escobedo J. O., Rusin O., Lim S., Strongin R. M., Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, 2010, 14(1), 64

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Zebibula A., Alifu N., Xia L., Sun C., Yu X., Xue D., Liu L., Li G., Qian J., Advanced Functional Materials, 2018, 28(9), 1703451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ding S., Lu L., Fan Y., Zhang F., Journal of Rare Earths, 2020, 38(5), 451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. An F. F., Chen N. D., Conlon W. J., Hachey J. S., Xin J. Q., Aras O., Rodriguez E. A., Ting R., International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2020, 153, 100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Wang S., Xi W., Cai F., Zhao X., Xu Z., Qian J., He S., Theranostics, 2015, 5(3), 251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hong Y. N., Lam J. W. Y., Tang B. Z., Chemical Communications, 2009, 29, 4332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Luo J., Xie Z., Lam J. W. Y., Cheng L., Chen H., Qiu C., Kwok H. S., Zhan X., Liu Y., Zhu D., Tang B. Z., Chemical Communications, 2001, 18, 1740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Qian J., Tang B. Z., Chem, 2017, 3(1), 56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Wang Z., Zheng Y., Zhao D., Zhao Z., Liu L., Pliss A., Zhu F., Liu J., Qu J., Luan P., Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, 2018, 11(01), 1830001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Feng Z., Yu X., Jiang M., Zhu L., Zhang Y., Yang W., Xi W., Li G., Qian J., Theranostics, 2019, 9(19), 5706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Guo B., Feng Z., Hu D., Xu S., Middha E., Pan Y., Liu C., Zheng H., Qian J., Sheng Z., Liu B., 2019, 31(30), 1902504

  13. Yu X., Feng Z., Cai Z., Jiang M., Xue D., Zhu L., Zhang Y., Liu J., Que B., Yang W., Xi W., Zhang D., Qian J., Li G., Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2019, 7(42), 6623

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Horton N. G., Wang K., Kobat D., Clark C. G., Wise F. W., Schaffer C. B., Xu C., Nature Photonics, 2013, 7(3), 205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Qi J., Sun C., Li D., Zhang H., Yu W., Zebibula A., Lam J. W. Y., Xi W., Zhu L., Cai F., Wei P., Zhu C., Kwok R. T. K., Streich L. L., Prevedel R., Qian J., Tang B. Z., ACS Nano, 2018, 12(8), 7936

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wang Y., Hu R., Xi W., Cai F., Wang S., Zhu Z., Bai R., Qian J., Biomedical Optics Express, 2015, 6(10), 3783

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang S., Liu J., Goh C. C., Ng L. G., Liu B., Advanced Materials, 2019, 31(44), 1904447

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Wang S., Liu J., Feng G., Ng L. G., Liu B., Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 29(15), 1808365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Qi J., Sun C., Zebibula A., Zhang H., Kwok R. T., Zhao X., Xi W., Lam J. W., Qian J., Tang B. Z., Advanced Materials, 2018, 30(12), 1706856

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.61735016, 61975172), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province of China(No.LR17F050001), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(No.2020-KYY-511108-0007) and the Open Fund of Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregate, South China University of Technology, China(No.2019B030301003).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentations, Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China

    Wen Liu, Yuhuang Zhang & Jun Qian

  2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China

    Wen Liu

  3. Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Molecular Functional Materials, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P. R. China

    Ji Qi & Ben Zhong Tang

Authors
  1. Wen Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuhuang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ji Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jun Qian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ben Zhong Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Qian.

Additional information

Availability of Data and Materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, W., Zhang, Y., Qi, J. et al. NIR-II Excitation and NIR-I Emission Based Two-photon Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopic Imaging Using Aggregation-induced Emission Dots. Chem. Res. Chin. Univ. 37, 171–176 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40242-021-0405-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40242-021-0405-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation