Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis

Abstract Nonaromatic and nonconjugated fluorescent materials have garnered increasing attention in recent years. However, most non-classical chromophores are derived from electro-rich nitrogen and oxygen atoms, which suffer from short emission wavelengths, low efficiency, limited responsiveness, and...

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Main Authors: Chuan Peng, Yuling Zhu, Kaibo Zhang, Yiwei Wang, Yi Zheng, Yang Liu, Weili Fu, Hong Tan, Qiang Fu, Mingming Ding
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54473-x
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author Chuan Peng
Yuling Zhu
Kaibo Zhang
Yiwei Wang
Yi Zheng
Yang Liu
Weili Fu
Hong Tan
Qiang Fu
Mingming Ding
author_facet Chuan Peng
Yuling Zhu
Kaibo Zhang
Yiwei Wang
Yi Zheng
Yang Liu
Weili Fu
Hong Tan
Qiang Fu
Mingming Ding
author_sort Chuan Peng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Nonaromatic and nonconjugated fluorescent materials have garnered increasing attention in recent years. However, most non-classical chromophores are derived from electro-rich nitrogen and oxygen atoms, which suffer from short emission wavelengths, low efficiency, limited responsiveness, and obscure luminescence mechanisms. Here we present an emission mechanism in bioactive polycysteine, an aliphatic polymer that displays polymerization- and aggregation-induced emission, high quantum yield, and multicolor emission properties. We show that the hydrogen atoms bonded to the sulfur atoms play a crucial role in luminescence. This enables reversible modulation of polymer fluorescence under reducing and oxidizing conditions, facilitating specific imaging and quantitative detection of redox species in cells and in vivo. Furthermore, the polymer exhibits better anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities compared to first-line clinical antioxidants, offering a promising platform for in vivo theragnosis of diseases such as osteoarthritis.
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issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-e2dea27dea414bbea824117a6b3854012024-11-24T12:34:00ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-11-0115111410.1038/s41467-024-54473-xRedox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritisChuan Peng0Yuling Zhu1Kaibo Zhang2Yiwei Wang3Yi Zheng4Yang Liu5Weili Fu6Hong Tan7Qiang Fu8Mingming Ding9College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversitySports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversitySports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Research Institute, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan UniversityAbstract Nonaromatic and nonconjugated fluorescent materials have garnered increasing attention in recent years. However, most non-classical chromophores are derived from electro-rich nitrogen and oxygen atoms, which suffer from short emission wavelengths, low efficiency, limited responsiveness, and obscure luminescence mechanisms. Here we present an emission mechanism in bioactive polycysteine, an aliphatic polymer that displays polymerization- and aggregation-induced emission, high quantum yield, and multicolor emission properties. We show that the hydrogen atoms bonded to the sulfur atoms play a crucial role in luminescence. This enables reversible modulation of polymer fluorescence under reducing and oxidizing conditions, facilitating specific imaging and quantitative detection of redox species in cells and in vivo. Furthermore, the polymer exhibits better anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities compared to first-line clinical antioxidants, offering a promising platform for in vivo theragnosis of diseases such as osteoarthritis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54473-x
spellingShingle Chuan Peng
Yuling Zhu
Kaibo Zhang
Yiwei Wang
Yi Zheng
Yang Liu
Weili Fu
Hong Tan
Qiang Fu
Mingming Ding
Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
Nature Communications
title Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
title_full Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
title_fullStr Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
title_full_unstemmed Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
title_short Redox-switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
title_sort redox switchable multicolor luminescent polymers for theragnosis of osteoarthritis
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54473-x
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AT yizheng redoxswitchablemulticolorluminescentpolymersfortheragnosisofosteoarthritis
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