Recent advances in autofluorescence-free biosensing and bioimaging based on persistent luminescence nanoparticles

Persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) refer to a series of luminescent nanomaterials that can swiftly store the excitation energy and emit persistently after ceasing the excitation. Due to the characteristics of quickly storing the excitation energy and slowly emitting luminescence for a long time after ceasing excitation, they can effectively diminish background fluorescence, and are ideal for fluorescent analysis, especially in autofluorescencefree biosensing and bioimaging.     

长余辉纳米材料的控制合成及在疾病诊断中的应用

长余辉纳米材料具有独特的发光性质, 能在激发光关闭后持续发光. 通过收集激发光关闭后的长余辉发光信号可以有效消除背景信号的干扰. 此外, 长余辉材料在成像时无需原位激发, 可以减少生物体系的组织自发荧光和光散射干扰, 提高生物成像和检测的灵敏度. 由于这种独特的光学特性, 长余辉纳米材料在生物传感/生物成像以及疾病治疗等领域被广泛应用. 近年来, 为满足疾病相关生物标志物的体外检测及体内生物成像的应用要求, 控制合成发光性能优异、 生物相容性好的长余辉纳米材料成为研究热点.     

Recent Progress of Near-Infrared Persistent Phosphors in Bio-related and Emerging Applications

Near-infrared persistent phosphors (NIR-PPs) are an emerging category of luminescent materials that can continuously emit NIR luminescence with super-long decay time of minutes, hours, or even days after the excitation ceases. Their unique excitation-free long-lasting afterglow, together with the NIR emission, has not only attracted wide research interests in the areas of photochemistry, photophysics, spectroscopy, and materials science, but also stimulated advanced applications in biosensing, bioimaging, biomedicine, and therapy in the past decade. Beyond these bio-related applications, the active research field triggers a number of novel applications recently. In this review, a brief outline of NIR-PPs including the luminescence mechanism, main material systems, and how they were applied into various fields was depicted. Particular emphasis was put on the emerging applications outside the field of biology. Future perspectives in this exploration research area were also presented. We hope this review can help researchers grab the latest information in the fast-growing field of NIR-PPs.     

碳点的研究进展

碳点具有优良的光学特性、良好的生物相容性和低毒等优点,被广泛用于生物检测、药物传输和生物成像等领域,是极具发展潜力的碳基质材料.近年来,碳点的新型制备方法、性质探索及应用研究引起广泛关注.本文根据碳源和制备方法的不同,将碳点分为石墨烯纳米点和碳纳米点两类,综述了碳点的制备方法,剖析了碳点的发光机理,总结了碳点在生物传感、药物传输和生物成像中的应用;最后分析了碳点存在的问题及应对策略.     

MnO2‐Modified Persistent Luminescence Nanoparticles for Detection and Imaging of Glutathione in Living Cells and In Vivo

Persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) hold great promise for the detection and imaging of biomolecules. Herein, we have demonstrated a novel nanoprobe, based on the manganese dioxide (MnO₂)‐modified PLNPs, that can detect and image glutathione in living cells and in vivo. The persistent luminescence of the PLNPs can be efficiently quenched by the MnO₂ nanosheets. In the presence of glutathione (GSH), MnO₂ was reduced to Mn²⁺ and the luminescence of PLNPs can be restored. The persistent luminescence property can allow detection and imaging without external excitation and avoid the background noise originating from the in situ excitation. This strategy can offer a promising platform for detection and imaging of reactive species in living cells or in vivo.     

尺寸可控Zn1.4Ga1.97-2xO4∶1.5%Cr，xIn近红外发光长余辉纳米颗粒的制备及其光学性质

采用一步水热法,通过In³⁺的掺杂,获得了尺寸可控的近红外(NIR)发光ZGO∶1.5%Cr,xIn(Zn_1.4Ga_1.97-2xO₄∶1.5%Cr,xIn,x=0%、0.1%、0.2%、0.3%、0.4%、0.5%)长余辉纳米颗粒(PLNPs),考察了In³⁺掺杂量对ZGO∶1.5%Cr,xIn PLNPs尺寸大小、余辉发光性能以及晶体结构的影响。In³⁺的掺杂不仅能有效控制ZGO∶1.5%Cr,xIn PLNPs尺寸,还可以增强发光和余辉时间。结果表明,当In³⁺掺杂量为0.2%时,ZGO∶1.5%Cr,0.2%In PLNPs平均粒径为13.79 nm,分布最为均匀,粒径最小,NIR发光最强,余辉时间超过5 d,可通过LED灯再激发。In³⁺的掺杂对ZGO∶1.5%Cr,xIn PLNPs的晶体结构无影响,均为纯相的尖晶石结构。     

Cr,In共掺杂MgGa2O4小尺寸近红外长余辉纳米颗粒的制备及发光性能

采用乙二醇辅助共沉淀法制备了小尺寸Cr,In共掺杂MgGa₂O₄(MGO∶Cr, In)近红外长余辉发光纳米粒子(Persistent luminescence nanoparticles, PLNPs), 并考察了Cr, In共掺杂及煅烧温度对MGO晶体结构、 余辉发光性质和尺寸的影响. 结果表明, 最优Cr, In共掺杂浓度分别为0.3%和0.02%, MGO∶Cr, In晶体属于Fd3m空间群, Cr, In共掺杂对纳米颗粒的结构无影响, 平均粒径为(8.61±2.23) nm, 分散性良好, 最佳煅烧温度为700 ℃. 并且, In掺杂可有效延长其余辉发光寿命, 平均发光寿命(τ_av)从49.33 s增大至52.89 s; 荧光量子产率增高至44.9%; 活化能E_a为(0.36±0.04) eV, 具有良好的热稳定性; 陷阱深度为0.696 eV. 此外, 该PLNPs分别在260 nm、410 nm和600 nm处有激发峰, 表明UV光、 蓝绿光以及红光皆可实现对其的激发, 发射波长皆位于705 nm处, 属于Cr³⁺的²E(²G)→⁴A₂(⁴F)跃迁. 该PLNPs在红色LED灯、 光学储器件以及生物医学等领域具有巨大潜在应用价值.     

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer inhibition assay for α-fetoprotein excreted during cancer cell growth using functionalized persistent luminescence nanoparticles

Persistent-luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) are promising as a new generation of photoluminescent probes for detection of biomolecules and bioimaging. Here we report a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) inhibition assay for α-fetoprotein (AFP) excreted during cancer cell growth using water-soluble functionalized PLNPs based on Eu2+- and Dy3+-doped Ca1.86Mg0.14ZnSi2O7. Polyethyleneimine-coated PLNPs were conjugated with AFP-antibody-coated gold nanoparticles as a sensitive and specific persistent photoluminescence probe for detection of AFP in serum samples and imaging of AFP excreted during cancer cell growth. Such PLNPs do not contain toxic heavy metals. Their long-lasting afterglow nature allows detection and imaging without external illumination, thereby eliminating the autofluorescence and scattering light from biological matrixes encountered under in situ excitation.     

Upconversion nanomaterials: a platform for biosensing,theranostic and photoregulation

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are a kind of unique optical material, that are able to emit ultraviolet (UV), visible or near infrared (NIR) luminescence upon NIR light excitation. Because of their excellent physic-chemical characters including enormous anti-Stokes spectral shift, high resistance to photobleaching, fairly long luminescent lifetime, excellent chemical stability, sharp emission band, and deep tissue penetration depth, UCNPs have become a useful tool in bioimaging, biosensing, as well as cancer therapy. In particularly, the emissions light from UCNPs can activate photosensitive molecules, which has the potential to realize the regulation of cell behaviors, including cell growth, adhesion and differentiation. This review consequently introduces the principle and achievements of UCNPs in biomedical field to the general readers for promoting both fundamental research and bio-applications of UCNPs. After the brief introduction of the physical mechanism of upconversion luminescence (UCL), we introduce several strategies to enhance the emissions brightness in detail, then discuss various biomedical applications of UCNPs.     

Time-resolved analysis of photoluminescence at a single wavelength for ratiometric and multiplex biosensing and bioimaging

Simultaneous analysis of luminescence signals of multiple probes can improve the accuracy and efficiency of biosensing and bioimaging. Analysis of multiple signals at different wavelengths usually suffers from spectral overlap, possible energy transfer, and difference in detection efficiency. Herein, we reported a polymeric luminescent probe, which was composed of a phenothiazine-based fluorescent compound and a phosphorescent iridium(iii) complex. Both luminophores emitted at around 600 nm but their luminescence lifetimes are 160 times different, allowing time-resolved independent analysis. As the fluorescence was enhanced in response to oxidation by hypochlorite and the phosphorescence was sensitive toward oxygen quenching, a four-dimensional relationship between luminescence intensity, fluorescence/phosphorescence ratio, hypochlorite concentration, and oxygen content was established. In cellular imaging, time-resolved photoluminescence imaging microscopy clearly showed the independent fluorescence response toward hypochlorite and phosphorescence response toward oxygen in separated time intervals. This work opens up a new idea for the development of multiplex biosensing and bioimaging.

A single-wavelength dual-emissive polymeric probe shows fluorescence enhancement toward ClO⁻ and phosphorescence quenching toward O₂, allowing simultaneously imaging cellular ClO⁻ and O₂via time-resolved photoluminescence imaging microscopy.     

Ultrabright Terbium Nanoparticles for FRET Biosensing and in Situ Imaging of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors**

Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles (LnNPs) have become an important class of fluorophores for advanced biosensing and bioimaging. LnNPs that are photosensitized by surface-attached antenna ligands can possess exceptional brightness. However, their functional bioconjugation remains an important challenge for their translation into bioanalytical applications. To solve this problem, we designed a ligand that can be simultaneously applied as efficient light harvesting antenna for Tb surface ions and strong linker of biomolecules to the LnNPs surfaces. To demonstrate generic applicability of the photosensitized TbNP-bioconjugates, we applied them in two prototypical applications for biosensing and bioimaging. First, in-solution biorecognition was shown by time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between streptavidin-functionalized TbNPs to biotinylated dyes (ATTO 610). Second, in situ detection of ligand–receptor binding on cells was accomplished with TbNP-antibody (Matuzumab) conjugates that could specifically bind to transmembrane epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR). High specificity and sensitivity were demonstrated by time-gated imaging of EGFR on both strongly (A431) and weakly (HeLa and Cos7) EGFR-expressing cell lines, whereas non-expressing cell lines (NIH3T3) and EGFR-passivated A431 cells did not show any signals. Despite the relatively large size of TbNP-antibody conjugates, they could be internalized by A431 cells upon binding to extracellular EGFR, which showed their potential as bright and stable luminescence markers for intracellular signaling.     

Fused-Ring Pyrrole-Based Near-Infrared Emissive Organic RTP Material for Persistent Afterglow Bioimaging

Organic near-infrared room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials offer remarkable advantages in bioimaging due to their characteristic time scales and background noise elimination. However, developing near-infrared RTP materials for deep tissue imaging still faces challenges since the small band gap may increase the non-radiative decay, resulting in weak emission and short phosphorescence lifetime. In this study, fused-ring pyrrole-based structures were employed as the guest molecules for the construction of long wavelength emissive RTP materials. Compared to the decrease of the singlet energy level, the triplet energy level showed a more effectively decrease with the increase of the conjugation of the substituent groups. Moreover, the sufficient conjugation of fused ring structures in the guest molecule suppresses the non-radiative decay of triplet excitons. Therefore, a near-infrared RTP material (764 nm) was achieved for deep penetration bioimaging. Tumor cell membrane is used to coat RTP nanoparticles (NPs) to avoid decreasing the RTP performance compared to traditional coating by amphiphilic surfactants. RTP NPs with tumor-targeting properties show favorable phosphorescent properties, superior stability, and excellent biocompatibility. These NPs are applied for time-resolved luminescence imaging to eliminate background interference with excellent tissue penetration. This study provides a practical solution to prepare long-wavelength and long-lifetime organic RTP materials and their applications in bioimaging.     

1-Azathioxanthone Appended Lanthanide(III) DO3A Complexes That Luminesce Following Excitation at 405 nm**

Since the pioneering report by Selvin, we have been fascinated by the potential of using lanthanide luminescence in bioimaging. The uniquely narrow emission lines and long luminescence lifetimes both provide the potential for background free images together with full certainty of probe localization. General use of lanthanide based bioimaging was first challenged by low brightness, and later by the need of UV (<405 nm) excitation sources not present in commercial microscopes. Here, we designed three lanthanide-based imaging probes based on a known motif to investigate the limitations of 405 nm excitation. These were synthesized, characterized, investigated on dedicated as well as commercial microscopes, and the photophysics was explored in detail. It was proven without doubt that the lanthanide complexes enter the cells and luminesce internally. Even so, no lanthanide luminescence were recovered on the commercial microscopes. Thus, we returned to the photophysical properties that afforded the conclusion that – despite the advances in light sources and photodetectors – we need new designs that can give us brighter lanthanide complexes before bioimaging with lanthanide luminescence becomes something that is readily done.     

多彩金纳米簇:从结构到生物传感和成像

金纳米簇是一种具有发光性能的“类分子”新兴纳米材料.通过调控金原子数目和配体组成性质,金纳米簇可以实现同激发光下不同波段发射,从而展现出“五彩缤纷”的发光特性,这使其被广泛应用于光催化、光学器件、传感和成像等多个领域.因此,开发和优化具有优异发光性能的金纳米簇一直是化学、材料和生物学科的研究热点.本文立足于金纳米簇的发...     

Controlling disorder in host lattice by hetero-valence ion doping to manipulate luminescence in spinel solid solution phosphors

Phosphor materials have been rapidly developed in the past decades. Developing phosphors with desired properties including strong luminescence intensity and long lifetime has attracted widespread attention. Herein, we show that hetero-valence ion doping can serve as a potent strategy to manipulate luminescence in persistent phosphors by controlling disorder in the host lattice. Specifically, spinel phosphor Zn(Ga_(1-x)Zn_x)(Ga_(1-x)Ge_x)O_4:Cr is developed by doping ZnGa_2O_4:Cr with tetravalent Ge~(~(4+)).Compared to the original ZnGa_2O_4:Cr, the doped Zn(Ga_(1-x)Zn_x)(Ga_(1-x)Ge_x)O_4:Cr possesses significantly enhanced persistent luminescence intensity and prolonged decay time. Rietveld refinements show that Ge~(4+)enters into octahedral sites to substitute Ga~(3+), which leads to the co-substitution of Ga~(3+) by Zn~(2+) for charge compensation. The hetero-valence substitution of Ga~(3+) by Ge~(4+)and Zn~(2+) enriches the charged defects in Zn(Ga_(1-x)Zn_x)(Ga_(1-x)Ge_x)O_4:Cr, making it possible to trap large amounts of charge carriers within the defects during excitation. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurement further confirms that the amount of Cr~(3+) neighboring charged defects increases with Ge~(4+)doping. Thus charge carriers released from defects can readily combine with the neighboring Cr~(3+) to produce bright persistent luminescence after excitation ceases. The hetero-valence ion doping strategy can further be employed to develop many other phosphors and contributes to lighting, photocatalysis and bioimaging.     

Bioimaging Based on Nucleic Acid Nanostructures

Nucleic acid nanostructures with structural programmability, spatial addressability and excellent biocompatibility have drawn much attention in various biomedical applications, such as bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress in the field of bioimaging based on nucleic acid nanostructures with different imaging models, including fluorescent imaging(FI), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), photoacoustic imaging(PAI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT) imaging. We also discuss the remaining challenges and further opportunities involved in the bioimaging research based on nucleic acid nanostructures.     

Bioactive Luminescent Silver Clusters Confined in Zeolites Enable Quick and Wash-Free Biosensing

The simultaneous capture and detection of biomolecules is crucial for revolutionizing bioanalytical platforms in terms of portability, response time and cost-efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate how the sensitivity to external stimuli and changes in the local electronic environment of silver clusters lead to an advantageous biosensing platform based on the fluorometric response of bioactive luminescent silver clusters (BioLuSiC) confined in faujasite X zeolites functionalized with antibodies. The photoluminescence response of BioLuSiC was enhanced upon immunocomplex formation, empowering a wash-free and quick biodetection system offering optimal results from 5 min. Proteins and pathogens (immunoglobulin G and Escherichia coli) were targeted to demonstrate the biosensing performance of BioLuSiC, and a human serum titration assay was also established. BioLuSiC will pave the way for innovative bioanalytical platforms, including real-time monitoring systems, point-of-care devices and bioimaging techniques.     

Broadening of electronic absorption bands and the kinetics of luminescence of dapoxyl

Stationary spectra of selectively excided dapoxyl and time characteristics of the decay of its luminescence in polar solvents with the radiation excitation by picosecond pulses were studied. It was found that the absorption and luminescence stationary spectra are characterized by significant inhomogeneity, more pronounced in higher viscous solutions. Using the solvatochromic method, the change in the dipole moment of dapoxyl on the electron transition was estimated to be 18 ± 3 D. It was concluded that time characteristics of the decay of luminescence and the displacement of instantaneous luminescence spectra with time toward the range of long wavelengths are related to the mutual orientational relaxation of molecules in the solution.     

双光子激发的超分子聚合物纳米颗粒生物成像研究

将具有双-2-脲基-4[1H]-嘧啶酮（bisUPy）的β-二羰基氟硼类衍生物（BF₂-bisUPy）及卟啉衍生物（Por（Pt）-bisUPy）通过四重氢键作用组装成超分子聚合物,通过微乳液法制备成在水中均匀分散的超分子聚合物纳米颗粒（SPNP）。扫描电子显微镜形貌表征表明获得的纳米颗粒粒径约为60 nm。紫外-可见吸收光谱、荧光发射光谱及寿命衰减实验均证明纳米颗粒内BF₂-bisUPy与Por（Pt）-bisUPy可发生高效的能量传递。具有双光子吸收的BF₂-bisUPy作为能量供体,可通过荧光共振能量传递（FRET）增强双光子激发下Por（Pt）-bisUPy的发光。双光子激发荧光强度与激光功率测试表明所制备的超分子聚合物纳米颗粒具有强烈的双光子激发下的荧光及磷光双发射,这种纳米材料可进入细胞,具有优秀的生物相容性,并在双光子激发时表现出强烈的荧光和磷光双发射生物成像。     

Rational design and biomedical applications of DNA-functionalized upconversion nanoparticles

In this review, we mainly introduced recent progress of DNA-functionalized upconversion materials, providing an overview of the design and applications in biosensing, bioimaging and disease therapy. The challenges and future perspectives are also discussed, aiming to promote their applications in materials science and biomedicine.