Bright red aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles for multifunctional applications in cancer therapy

Developing multifunctional photosensitizers (PSs) is needed to effectively simplify cancer treatment, but it remains a big challenge. Here, two red-emitting AIE-active, donor-acceptor (D-A) PSs with small Δ<i>E</i> _ST and their AIE nanoparticles, are rationally designed and synthesized. The <b>PS1</b> NPs exhibit bright red-emission with high quantum yield, appropriate ¹O₂ generation ability and good biocompatibility. More importantly, <b>PS1</b> NPs can strongly light up the cytoplasm by gently shaking the cells for only 5 s at room temperature, indicating ultrafast staining and mild incubation conditions. <i>In vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> cell tracing demonstrate that <b>PS1</b> NPs can track cells over 14 days, and effectively inhibit tumor growth upon irradiation. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first example of a PS that integrates image-guided PDT, ultrafast staining and long-term tracing functions, demonstrating the "all-in-one" concept which offers great advantages for potential clinical applications.