White Light Emissive Tetraphenylethene Molecular Cage-Based Hybrid Nanoparticles for Intracellular Long-Term Imaging

Three tetraphenylethene molecular cage-based polymers with blue, yellow, and red emission (TCPBs, TCPYs, and TCPRs) were synthesized through successive atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reactions. In an aqueous solution, they exhibit aggregation-induced emission effects, resulting in blue, yellow, and red fluorescence respectively. These polymers can be combined to create stable white light emissive hybrid nanoparticles (TCPWs) through Freud resonance energy transfer (FRET) effects. The resulting TCPWs demonstrate excellent fluorescence stability and can serve as fluorescent probes for long-term intracellular imaging for as long as 10 passages (20 days), outperforming single fluorescence emissive probes.