Corannulene‐Incorporated AIE Nanodots with Highly Suppressed Nonradiative Decay for Boosted Cancer Phototheranostics In Vivo

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2018-06, Vol.30 (26), p.e1801065-n/a
• Main Authors: Gu, Xinggui, Zhang, Xiaoyan, Ma, Huili, Jia, Shaorui, Zhang, Pengfei, Zhao, Yanjun, Liu, Qian, Wang, Jianguo, Zheng, Xiaoyan, Lam, Jacky W. Y., Ding, Dan, Tang, Ben Zhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aggregation‐induced emission; AIE nanodots; Animals; Biomedical materials; Cancer; cancer phototheranostics; Decay; Emission; Fluorescence; Materials science; Mice; Nanoparticles; near‐infrared fluorescence image‐guided surgery; Neoplasms; Photodynamic therapy; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - chemistry; Polyethylene glycol; Rotation
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801065

Fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) based on luminogens with aggregation‐induced emission characteristic (AIEgens), namely AIE dots, have received wide attention because of their antiquenching attitude in emission and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation when aggregated. However, few reports are available on how to control and optimize their fluorescence and ROS generation ability. Herein, it is reported that enhancing the intraparticle confined microenvironment is an effective approach to advanced AIE dots, permitting boosted cancer phototheranostics in vivo. Formulation of a “rotor‐rich” and inherently charged near‐infrared (NIR) AIEgen with 1,2‐distearoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine‐N‐[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)‐2000] and corannulene‐decorated PEG affords DSPE‐AIE dots and Cor‐AIE dots, respectively. Compared to DSPE‐AIE dots, Cor‐AIE dots show 4.0‐fold amplified fluorescence quantum yield and 5.4‐fold enhanced ROS production, because corannulene provides intraparticle rigidity and strong interactions with the AIEgen to restrict the intramolecular rotation of AIEgen to strongly suppress the nonradiative decay and significantly facilitate the fluorescence pathway and intersystem crossing. Thus, it tremendously promotes phototheranostic efficacies in terms of NIR image‐guided cancer surgery and photodynamic therapy using a peritoneal carcinomatosis‐bearing mouse model. Collectively, it not only provides a novel strategy to advanced AIE dots for cancer phototheranostics, but also brings new insights into the design of superior fluorescent NPs for biomedical applications. An effective approach to advanced aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) nanodots by enhancing the intraparticle confined microenvironment is provided to boost cancer phototheranostics in vivo. AIEgens in the confined microenvironment caused by corannulene are highly rigid and the nonradiative decay is strongly suppressed to afford amplified near‐infrared emission and production of reactive oxygen species, tremendously promoting phototheranostic efficacies in terms of image‐guided surgery and photodynamic therapy.