title: Specific Fluorescence Probes for Lipid Droplets Based on Simple AIEgens.
abstract: Lipid droplets (LDs), as dynamic complex organelles, are involved in various physiological processes, and their numbers and activity are related to many diseases, even cancer. Hence, locating and concentration monitoring of LDs are very important to scientific bioresearch and health care. In this work, we prepared two simple luminogens (FAS and DPAS) via very facile synthetic procedures and purification. They feature aggregation-induced emission and excited state intramolecular proton transfer characteristics. They exhibit large Stokes shifts and bright orange and yellow emissions in the aggregated state, and the emissions can be reversibly turned "off" and "on" for many cycles by controlling buffer pH values. Both FAS and DPAS are cytocompatible and can selectively accumulate in and light up the LDs in living cells with superior resolution and high contrast. They also outperform the commercial LD probes in terms of photostability. Combining the advantages of high LD-specificity, good biocompatibility, surperb photostability, and low preparation cost, FAS and DPAS may become powerful tools to the study on LDs-related intracellular activities, such as LDs-based pathology and pharmacology.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.|HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.|School of Petrochemical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology , Liaoyang 111003, China.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.|Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.affiliation: HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.|Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Engui
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: School of Petrochemical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology , Liaoyang 111003, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Anjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Zujin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.
authors.forename: Zhenqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.|HKUST-Shenzhen Research Institute , No. 9 Yuexing first RD, South Area, Hi-tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518057, China.|Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology , Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.|Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction , Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Ben Zhong
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D066292:Lipid Droplets / Q000737:chemistry*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons
keywords: aggregation-induced emission; excited-state intramolecular proton transfer; fluorescence probe; lipid droplets; photostability