Aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles with improved optical absorption for boosting fluorescence signal of tumors in vivo

Nanomaterial development has been extensively investigated for several decades to realize sensitive and accurate imaging of tumors in vivo. The manufacturing of nanoparticles with highly efficient tumor targeting and excellent optical properties is still an important research topic. The structure and composition ratio of materials that decisively contribute to the brightness and size of nanoparticles have a great influence on image sensitivity and tumor targeting efficiency. In this study, we developed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) nanoparticles with a widened light absorption window (nanoPMeOCN/BDP) to enable sensitive in vivo tumor imaging. The signal of nanoparticles is enhanced by integrating a high-density AIE polymer (PMeOCN) and light-absorbing fluorescent dye (BDP) in a nanoscopic space. BDP not only improves the light absorption of particles but also enhances the fluorescence signal of particles by effectively transferring absorbed energy to PMeOCN. The physically blended nanoPMeOCN/BDP show strong light absorption and improved sensitivity for the imaging of biological tissues because of their excellent optical performance compared to nanoPMeOCN of similar nanosizes (~19 nm in size). In vivo imaging results further confirm that nanoPMeOCN/BDP can provide amplified signals with the successful accumulation of tumor tissue through the enhanced permeability and retention effect. We expect that the design strategy of nanoparticles with improved light absorption will provide a simple and general method for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis.