An AIE-active centrosymmetric small molecule for ultra-deep three-photon brain angiography in the NIR-III window

IF 7.7 2区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Science China Materials Pub Date : 2026-08-06 DOI:10.1007/s40843-026-4176-y

Jiemei Yan (, ), Zengming Yang (, ), Sijia Tang (, ), Yingxian Zhang (, ), Jie Huang (, ), Zhenhui Li (, ), Jiangtao Liu (, ), Miaomiao Kang (, ), Ping Qiu (, ), Zhijun Zhang (, ), Dong Wang (, ), Ke Wang (, )

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Three-photon microscopy (3PM) utilizing the near-infrared-III (NIR-III) window (1600–1840 nm) provides a pivotal tool for high-resolution visualization of cerebral vasculature in vivo, owing to its superior deep-tissue penetration capability. However, imaging quality is critically dependent on the performance of fluorescent probes. This study proposes a probe optimization design strategy evolving from mirror symmetry to centrosymmetry, leading to the synthesis of a highly symmetrical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule, T4PQ. The centrosymmetric structure enables precise matching of donor (D)-acceptor (A) units, facilitating uniform electron cloud delocalization and directional charge transfer. This enhances exciton formation efficiency and suppresses non-radiative decay, thereby improving the fluorescence quantum yield. Furthermore, the highly symmetrical configuration significantly boosts the three-photon absorption cross-section by promoting electron delocalization and increasing the transition dipole moment, enabling stronger nonlinear optical responses under long-wavelength excitation. As a result, the designed T4PQ nanoparticles achieve optimized probe performance, combining an enhanced three-photon absorption cross-section, high fluorescence quantum yield, and excellent photostability. The corresponding nanoparticles (T4PQ NPs) exhibited a significantly enhanced three-photon absorption cross section, high fluorescence quantum yield, and excellent photostability. In murine in vivo experiments, T4PQ NPs achieved three-dimensional cerebrovascular imaging at a depth of 1785 µm and enabled real-time dynamic observation of hemodynamics in microvessels at a depth of 1006 µm, while demonstrating good biocompatibility. This research validates the advantage of centrosymmetric molecular structures in the design of deep-brain imaging probes, providing a high-performance tool for neurovascular research.

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在NIR-III窗口中用于超深三光子脑血管造影的aie活性中心对称小分子

利用近红外- iii （NIR-III）窗口（1600-1840 nm）的三光子显微镜（3PM）由于其优越的深层组织穿透能力，为体内脑血管系统的高分辨率可视化提供了关键工具。然而，成像质量严重依赖于荧光探针的性能。本研究提出了一种从镜像对称到中心对称的探针优化设计策略，从而合成了高度对称的聚集诱导发射（AIE）分子T4PQ。中心对称结构使施主(D)-受主(A)单元精确匹配，促进均匀的电子云离域和定向电荷转移。这提高了激子形成效率，抑制了非辐射衰变，从而提高了荧光量子产率。此外，高度对称的结构通过促进电子离域和增加跃迁偶极矩显著提高了三光子吸收截面，在长波激发下实现了更强的非线性光学响应。因此，设计的T4PQ纳米粒子实现了优化的探针性能，结合了增强的三光子吸收截面，高荧光量子产率和优异的光稳定性。相应的纳米颗粒（T4PQ NPs）具有显著增强的三光子吸收截面，高荧光量子产率和优异的光稳定性。在小鼠体内实验中，T4PQ NPs实现了1785µm深度的三维脑血管成像，实现了1006µm深度微血管血流动力学的实时动态观察，同时表现出良好的生物相容性。本研究验证了中心对称分子结构在脑深部成像探针设计中的优势，为神经血管研究提供了高性能的工具。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science China Materials Materials Science-General Materials Science

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

7.40%

发文量

949

期刊介绍： Science China Materials (SCM) is a globally peer-reviewed journal that covers all facets of materials science. It is supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The journal is jointly published monthly in both printed and electronic forms by Science China Press and Springer. The aim of SCM is to encourage communication of high-quality, innovative research results at the cutting-edge interface of materials science with chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. It focuses on breakthroughs from around the world and aims to become a world-leading academic journal for materials science.