One-Pot Synthesis of Customized Metal-Phenolic-Network-Coated AIE Dots for In Vivo Bioimaging.

Abstract

The integration of aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) and inorganic constituents to generate multifunctional nanocomposites has attracted much attention because it couples the bright aggregate‐state fluorescence of AIEgens with the diverse imaging modalities of inorganic constituents. Herein, a facile and universal strategy to prepare metal–phenolic‐network (MPN)‐coated AIE dots in a high encapsulation efficiency is reported. Through precise control on the nucleation of AIEgens and deposition of MPNs in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures, termed as coacervation, core–shell MPN‐coated AIE dots with bright emission are assembled in a one‐pot fashion. The optical properties of MPN‐coated AIE dots can be readily tuned by varying the incorporated AIEgens. Different metal ions, such as Fe3+, Ti4+, Cu2+, Ni2+, can be introduced to the nanoparticles. The MPN‐coated AIE dots with a red‐emissive AIEgen core are successfully used to perform magnetic resonance/fluorescence dual‐modality imaging in a tumor‐bearing mouse model and blood flow visualization in a zebrafish larva. It is believed that the present study provides a tailor‐made nanoplatform to meet the individual needs of in vivo bioimaging.