Abstract:
We synthesized novel tetraphenylethene (TPE) conjugates,
which undergo unique self-assembly to form spherical nanoparticles
that exhibited aggregation induced emission (AIE) in the near-infrared
region. These nanoparticles showed significant singlet oxygen generation
efficiency, negligible dark toxicity, rapid cellular uptake, efficient
localization in cytoplasm, and high in vitro photocytotoxicity as well as
in vivo photodynamic activity against a human prostate tumor animal
model. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the power of the selfassembled
AIE active tetraphenylethene conjugates in aqueous media as a
nanoplatform for future therapeutic applications
