Tailored NIR-II luminescence probes for in situ capture of spatiotemporal physiological information in living organisms

Abstract

Fluctuations in physiological information within organisms serve as crucial indicators of various diseases and stresses. Significant advancements have been made in the development of luminescence probes that operate in the Near-Infrared II (NIR-II) spectral range, enabling in situ sensing of physiological information in living organisms. These innovations have facilitated the study of physiological changes with increased penetration depth for tissue, improved signal-to-background ratios, and enhanced optical imaging resolution. To address the need for in situ sensing within living organisms, key concepts in probe design–such as luminescence intensity, response sites, and localization–have been summarized. Following a review of NIR-II luminescence probe design, we provide a comprehensive overview of their applications in sensing diverse physiological parameters in living organisms, considering the differences in the metabolic mechanisms between humans and plants. Our objective is to highlight the latest progress in NIR-II luminescence probes, offer valuable insights into their molecular design and synthesis, and accelerate the development of novel NIR-II luminescence probes suitable for biomedical and agricultural applications.