Ultrafast photochemistry produces superbright short-wave infrared dots for low-dose in vivo imaging

Optical probes operating in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm), where tissues are highly transparent, have expanded the applicability of fluorescence in the biomedical field. NIR-II fluorescence enables deep-tissue imaging with micrometric resolution in animal models, but is li...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Santos, Harrison D. A., Zabala Gutiérrez, Irene, Shen, Yingli, Lifante, José, Ximendes, Erving, Laurenti, Marco, Méndez González, Diego, Melle Hernández, Sonia, Gómez Calderón, Óscar, López Cabarcos, Enrique, Fernández Monsalve, Nuria, Chavez Coria, Irene, Lucena Agell, Daniel, Monge, Luis, Mackenzie, Mark D., Marqués Hueso, José, Jones, Callum M. S., Jacinto, Carlos, Rosal, Blanca, del, Kar, Ajoy K., Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge, Jaque García, Daniel
Format: article
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repository:Docta Complutense
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/6329
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/6329
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:535.37
681.785.45
543.422.3
Fluorescence imaging
Nanoparticles
Óptica geométrica e instrumental
Técnicas de la imagen
2209.06 Óptica geométrica
Description
Summary:Optical probes operating in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1,000-1,700 nm), where tissues are highly transparent, have expanded the applicability of fluorescence in the biomedical field. NIR-II fluorescence enables deep-tissue imaging with micrometric resolution in animal models, but is limited by the low brightness of NIR-II probes, which prevents imaging at low excitation intensities and fluorophore concentrations. Here, we present a new generation of probes (Ag2S superdots) derived from chemically synthesized Ag2S dots, on which a protective shell is grown by femtosecond laser irradiation. This shell reduces the structural defects, causing an 80-fold enhancement of the quantum yield. PEGylated Ag2S superdots enable deep-tissue in vivo imaging at low excitation intensities (<10 mW cm−2) and doses (<0.5 mg kg−1), emerging as unrivaled contrast agents for NIR-II preclinical bioimaging. These results establish an approach for developing superbright NIR-II contrast agents based on the synergy between chemical synthesis and ultrafast laser processing.

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