Organic nanoparticles with ultrahigh quantum yield and aggregation-induced emission characteristics for cellular imaging and real-time two-photon lung vasculature imaging

Fluorescent organic nanoparticles based on small molecules have emerged as an attractive class of fluorescent agents for bioimaging in recent years. Herein, we report orange light-emitting BTPEBD based organic nanoparticles (BTPEBD NPs) with a large Stokes shift (>135 nm), ultrahigh quantum yield (>90% in water) and aggregation-induced emission characteristics. Single nanoparticle analysis studied by wide field microscopy imaging further proves that the BTPEBD NPs exhibit high brightness and good photostability. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments reveal that the BTPEBD NPs are promising fluorescent agents for cellular imaging and real-time two-photon lung vasculature imaging.