Catalytic NIR chemiluminescence sensor with enhanced persistence and intensity for in vivo imaging

Abstract

Chemiluminescence (CL) is a self-illumination phenomenon that involves the emission of light from chemical reactions, and it provides favorable spatial and temporal information on biological processes. However, it is still a great challenge to construct effective CL sensors that equip strong CL intensity, long emission wavelength, and persistent luminescence for deep tissue imaging. Here, we report a liposome encapsulated polymer dots (Pdots)-based system using catalytic CL substrates (L-012) as energy donor and fluorescent polymers and dyes (NIR 695) as energy acceptors for efficient Near-infrared (NIR) CL in vivo imaging. Thanks to the modulation of paired donor and acceptor distance and the slow diffusion of biomarker by liposome, the Pdots show a NIR emission wavelength (λ em, max = 720 nm), long CL duration (>24 h), and a high chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer efficiency (46.5 %). Furthermore, the liposome encapsulated Pdots possess excellent biocompatibility, sensitive response to H2O2, and persistent whole-body NIR CL imaging in the drug-induced inflammation and the peritoneal metastatic tumor mouse model. In a word, this NIR-II CL nanoplatform with long-lasting emission and high spatial-temporal resolution will be a concise strategy in deep tissue imaging and clinical diagnostics.