Folate receptor-targeted aggregation-enhanced near-IR emitting silica nanoprobe for one-photon in vivo and two-photon ex vivo fluorescence bioimaging.

ABSTRACT: A two-photon absorbing (2PA) and aggregation-enhanced near-infrared (NIR) emitting pyran derivative, encapsulated in and stabilized by silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), is reported as a nanoprobe for two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) bioimaging that overcomes the fluorescence quenching associated with high chromophore loading. The new SiNP probe exhibited aggregate-enhanced emission producing nearly twice as strong a signal as the unaggregated dye, a 3-fold increase in two-photon absorption relative to the DFP in solution, and approximately 4-fold increase in photostability. The surface of the nanoparticles was functionalized with a folic acid (FA) derivative for folate-mediated delivery of the nanoprobe for 2PFM bioimaging. Surface modification of SiNPs with the FA derivative was supp

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3147277 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature