Abstract
Lithium salts are extensively used to treat diseases such as bipolar disorder or chronic reduction, but they often trigger undesirable side effects in patients due to the accumulation of lithium ions in peripheral organs. A conventional strategy for fabricating nanocarriers is not applicable to lithium ions because of their difficulty in binding firmly to molecules in water and easy leakage due to their small size and high water solubility. We report here the successful fabrication of lithium ion nanocarriers in water with an amphiphile containing two ethylene oxide tetramers attached to a hydrophobic core showing aggregation-induced light emission (AIE). The amphiphile self-assembles into fluorescent spherical aggregates in water. Lithium ions are loaded into the spherical aggregates by binding to the ethylene oxide tetramer. This nanocarrier can enter cells facilely via an endocytosis process and does not affect the cell viability at concentrations of up to 100 μM. Moreover, the self-imaging ability of ...
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.