Fluorescence multiplexing is vital for biological and biomedical research, allowing the simultaneous visualization of multiple biological species in one sample by using spectrally distinct fluorophore. Recent developments suggest that imaging in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II; 1,000–1,700 nm) can afford better clarity and deeper penetration depth due to diminished tissue scattering and autofluorescence at progressively longer wavelengths. However, many reported NIR-II fluorophores have the same problem of spectral overlap as the visible probes, and indeed, emission redshift is often concomitant with spectral broadening.<br/>To circumvent this problem, we reported a fluorophore system based on molecular erbium(III)–bacteriochlorin complexes with large Stokes shift and narrowband NIR-to-NIR downconversion spectra. We have demonstrated the excitation/emission-multiplexed capability of the complexes in the visualization of dynamic circulatory and metabolic processes in living mice, and through skull tracking of cancer cell metastases in mouse brain. This hybrid probe system facilitates robust multiplexed NIR imaging with high contrast and spatial resolution for applications ranging from fluorescence-guided surgery, diagnostics and intravital microscopy.

Hybrid erbium(III)–bacteriochlorin near-infrared probes for multiplexed biomedical imaging

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ACS Fall 2022

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