Light‐Emitting Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers under Cellular Digestion

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2018-02, Vol.30 (8), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Yeh, Yin‐Ting, Tang, Yi, Lin, Zhong, Fujisawa, Kazunori, Lei, Yu, Zhou, Yijing, Rotella, Christopher, Elías, Ana Laura, Zheng, Si‐Yang, Mao, Yingwei, Liu, Zhiwen, Lu, Huaguang, Terrones, Mauricio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2D materials; Biomedical materials; Cell division; cellular imaging; cellular intake; Chalcogenides; Digestion; Disulfides; Fluorescence; Light; Monolayers; Optical properties; Progeny; Transition Elements; transition‐metal dichalcogenides; Tungsten - chemistry; Tungsten disulfide
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201703321

2D materials cover a wide spectrum of electronic properties. Their applications are extended from electronic, optical, and chemical to biological. In terms of biomedical uses of 2D materials, the interactions between living cells and 2D materials are of paramount importance. However, biointerfacial studies are still in their infancy. This work studies how living organisms interact with transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. For the first time, cellular digestion of tungsten disulfide (WS2) monolayers is observed. After digestion, cells intake WS2 and become fluorescent. In addition, these light‐emitting cells are not only viable, but also able to pass fluorescent signals to their progeny cells after cell division. By combining synthesis of 2D materials and a cell culturing technique, a procedure for monitoring the interactions between WS2 monolayers and cells is developed. These observations open up new avenues for developing novel cellular labeling and imaging approaches, thus triggering further studies on interactions between 2D materials and living organisms. WS2 monolayers are found to be digested by LMH cells and strongly fluoresce. These light‐emitting LMH cells pass this strong fluorescence to progeny cells for at least two generations. This work sheds light on interfacing 2D materials with living organisms utilizing the novel optical properties of semiconducting chalcogenides for next‐generation cellular labeling and imaging.