Self-confocal NIR-II fluorescence microscopy for multifunctional in vivo imaging

Fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared window(NIR-II,900–1880 nm)with less scattering background in biological tissues has been combined with the confocal microscopic system for achieving deep in vivo imaging with high spatial resolution.However,the traditional NIR-IIfluorescence confocal microscope with separate excitation focus and detection pinhole makes it possess low confocal e±ciency,as well as di±cultly to adjust.Two types of upgraded NIR-IIfluorescence confocal microscopes,sharing the same pinhole by excitation and emission focus,leading to higher confocal e±ciency,are built in this work.One type is-ber-pinhole-based confocal microscope applicable to CW laser excitation.It is constructed forfluorescence intensity imaging with large depth,high stabilization and low cost,which could replace multiphotonfluorescence microscopy in some applications(e.g.,cerebrovascular and hepatocellular imaging).The other type is air-pinhole-based confocal microscope applicable to femtosecond(fs)laser excitation.It can be employed not only for NIR-IIfluorescence intensity imaging,but also for multi-channelfluorescence lifetime imaging to recognize different structures with similarfluorescence spectrum.Moreover,it can be facilely combined with multiphotonfluorescence microscopy.A single fs pulsed laser is utilized to achieve up-conversion(visible multiphotonfluorescence)and down-conversion(NIR-II one-photonfluorescence)excitation simultaneously,extending imaging spectral channels,and thus facilitates multi-structure and multi-functional observation.

Molecular fluorescence significantly enhanced by gold nanoparticles@zeolitic imidazolate framework-8

Noble metal nanoparticles exhibit unique surface plasmon resonance dependent optical properties.On this basis,gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)encapsulated in metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)can form AuNPs@MOFs composites to modulate the optical properties of fluorescent molecules,which is less reported.In this paper,based on the fluorescence enhancement effect of AuNPs on 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazole(HPBI)molecules,zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8)crystals with structural stability were introduced.AuNPs@ZIF-8 exhibited a significantly pronounced fluorescence enhancement of the HPBI molecules.In addition,by comparing the fluorescence characteristics of the HPBI molecules adsorbed on AuNPs@ZIF-8 and those captured in AuNPs@ZIF-8,we found that the ZIF-8 can act as a spacer layer with highly effective near-field enhancement.All our preliminary results shed light on future research on the composite structures of noble metal particles and MOFs for fluorescent probes and sensing applications.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of fluorescent proteins as an effective quantitative tool for noninvasive study of intracellular processes

Fluorescence litime imaging(FLIM)is an effective noninvasive bioanalytical tol based onmeasuring fuorescent lifetime of fuorophores.A growing number of FLIM studies utilizes ge-netically engineered fluorescent proteins targeted to specific subcellular structures to probe localmolecular environment,which opens new directions in cell science.This paper highlights theunconventional applications of FLIM for studies of molecular processes in diverse organelles oflive cultured cells.

Monitoring microenvironment of Hep G2 cell apoptosis using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

Apoptosis is very important for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and is closely related to the occurrence and treatment of many diseases.Mitochondria in cells play a crucial role in programmed cell death and redox processes.Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD(P)H)is the primary producer of energy in mitochondria,changing NAD(P)H can directly reflect the physiological state of mitochondria.Therefore,NAD(P)H can be used to evaluate metabolic response.In this paper,we propose a noninvasive detection method that uses two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(TP-FLIM)to characterize apoptosis by observing the binding kinetics of cellular endogenous NAD(P)H.The result shows that the average fluorescence lifetime of NAD(P)H and the fluorescence lifetime of protein-bound NAD(P)H will be affected by the changing pH,serum content,and oxygen concentration in the cell culture environment,and by the treatment with reagents such as H2O2 and paclitaxel.Taxol(PTX).This noninvasive detection method realized the dynamic detection of cellular endogenous substances and the assessment of apoptosis.

Applications,of fluorescence lifetime imaging in clinical medicine

Fluorescence lifetime is not only associated with the molecular structure f fuorophores,but alsostrongly depends on the environment around them,which llows fuorescence lifetime imagingmicroscopy(FLIM)to be used as a tool for precise measurement of the cell or tisue microenvironment,This review introduces the basic principle of fuorescence lifetime imagingtechnology and its application in clinical medicine,including research and diagnosis of diseases inskin,brain,eyes,mouth,bone,blood vessels and cavity organs,and drug evaluation.As anoninvasive,nontoxic and nonionizing radiation technique,FLIM demonstrates excellent per-formance with high sensitivity and specificity,which allows to determine precise position of thelesion and,thus,has good potential for application in biomedical research and clinical diagnosis.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and its applications in skin cancer diagnosis

Fluorescence lifetime(FLT)of fluorophores is sensitive to the changes in their surrounding microenvironment,and hence it can quantitatively reveal the physiological characterization of the tissue under investigation.Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(FLIM)provides not only morphological but also functional information of the tisse by producing spatially resolved image of fuorophore lifetime,which can be used as a signature of disorder and/or malignancy in diseased tissues.In this paper,we begin by introducing the basic principle and common detection methods of FLIM.Then the recent advances in the FLIM-based diagnosis of three different skin cancers,including basal cell carcinoma(BCC),squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)and malignant melanoma(MM)are reviewed.Furthermore,the potential advantages of FLIM in skin cancer diagnosis and the challenges that may be faced in the future are prospected.

Fluorescence life-time imaging microscopy(FLIM)monitors tumor cell death triggered by photothermal therapy with MoS_(2) nanosheets

Recently,photothermal therapy(PTT)has been proved to have great potential in tumor therapy.In the last several years,MoS_(2),as one novel member of nanomaterials,has been applied into PTT due to its excellent photothermal conversion efficacy.In this work,we applied fuorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(FLIM)techniques into monitoring the PPT-triggered cell death under MoS_(2) nanosheet treatment.Two types of MoS_(2) nanosheets(single layer nanosheets and few layer nanosheets)were obtained,both of which exhibited presentable photothermal conversion fficacy,leading to high cell death rates of 4T1 cells(mouse breast cancer cells)under PTT.Next,live cell images of 4T1 cells were obtained via directly labeling the mitochondria with Rodamine123,which were then continuously observed with FLIM technique.FLIM data showed that the fuorescence lifetimes of mitochondria targeting dye in cells treated with each type of MoS_(2) nanosheets significantly increased during PTT treatment.By contrast,the fuorescence lifetime of the same dye in control cells(without nanomaterials)remained constant after laser irradiation.These findings suggest that FLIM can be of great value in monitoring cell death process during PTT of cancer cells,which could provide dynamic data of the cellular microenvironment at single cell level in multiple biomedical applications.

Fast fluorescence lifetime imaging techniques:A review on challenge and development

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(FLIM)is increasingly used in biomedicine,material science,chemistry,and other related research fields,because of its advantages of high specificity and sensitivity in monitoring cellular microenvironments,studying interaction between proteins,metabolic state,screening drugs and analyzing their efficacy,characterizing novel materials,and diagnosing early cancers.Understandably,there is a large interest in obtaining FLIM data within an acquisition time as short as possible.Consequently,there is currently a technology that advances towards faster and faster FLIM recording.However,the maximum speed of a recording technique is only part of the problerm.The acquisition time of a FLIM image is a complex function of many factors.These include the photon rate that can be obtained from the sample,the amount of information a technique extracts from the decay functions,the fficiency at which it determines fluorescence decay parameters from the recorded photons,the demands for the accuracy of these parameters,the number of pixels,and the lateral and axial resolutions that are obtained in biological materials.Starting from a discussion of the parameters which determine the acquisition time,this review will describe existing and emerging FLIM techniques and data analysis algo-rithms,and analyze their performance and recording speed in biological and biomedical applications.

The LB Films of Dansyl Chloride Labeled Octadecylamine and Its Fluorescence Lifetime

Octadecylamine was derivatized with dansyl chloride (5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl chloride) In order to simplify and understand the LB films of fluorescent probe labeling proteins. its monolayer and multilayers in the absence and presence of stearic acid were deposited by LB technique. Fluorescence spectra and lifetimes of the fluorescent products were studied to elucidate the microenvironment of molecules in the LB films.

Optical Fiber Thermometer Based on the Fluorescence Life time

Anew opticalfiberfluorometricthermometerbased onthetemperature dependence ofthefluorescencelifetime of phosphoris described. The phase-locked detection (PLD) system is used to measure fluorescencelifetime. The characteristics ofthermometerare discussed and the experimentresults are given.

Investigation of NAD(P)H Fluorescence Decay in Living Cardiomyocytes with Spectrally-resolved Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy

Objective：To study the mitochondrial redox state in experimental animals to sensitively detect early signs of mitochondrial function in pathophysiologieal conditions, such as isehemia. Methods： Fluorescence of nieotinamide adenine dinucleotide （phosphate） , or NAD（P）H, the principal electron donor in mitochondrial respiration responsible for vital ATP supply of cardiomyocytes, is studied for non-invasive fluorescent probing of the mitochondrial function. Examination of NAD （P）H fluorescence in living cardiomyocytes following excitation by UV-pulsed laser diode and detection by spectrally-resolved time-correlated single photon counting （TCSPC） , is based on the simultaneous measurement of the fluorescence spectra and lifetime. Results ： The dynamic characteristics of NAD （P） H fluorescence decay in living rat cardiomyocytes show that at least a 3-exponential decay model, with 0.4 - 0.7 ns, 1.2 - 1.9 ns and 8.0 - 13.0 ns lifetimes, is necessary to describe cardiomyocyte autofluorescenee （AF）. Decay-associated spectra （DSA） revealed the presence of 4 spectrally-distinct populations of NADH molecules in eardiomyocytes with spectral maximum at 470 nm for short-lifetime pool for the first time, and emission peaks at 450 nm, 470 nm and 490 nm for intermediate and long-lifetime pools. Increased mitochondrial NADH content ratio by ketone bodies enhanced the AF intensity, without the significant change in fluorescent lifetimes. Rotenone, the inhibitor of Complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, increased AF and shortened the average fluorescence lifetime. Dinitrophenol （DNP）, an uncoupling agent of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, lowered AF,broadened the spectral shoulder at 520 nm and increased the average lifetime. These effects, comparable to the changes in the concentration and in the rate of dehydrogenation of NADH in vitro, were also examined under ischemia-mimetic conditions. Conclusion： Our findings anticipate a contribution of both conformational NADH changes and energy transfer from NADH to lipoamide dehydrogenase （LipDH）-bound flavins, to explain observed fluorescence kinetics. Presented spectrally resolved fluorescence lifetime approach provides promising new tool for analysis of mitochondrial NAD （P） H in living cardiomyocytes, and hence for investigation of energy metabolism and mitoehondrial dysfunction at a cellular level.

Iterative multi-photon adaptive compensation technique for deep tissue two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging

Fluorescence lifetime imaging can reveal the high-resolution structure of various biophysical and chemical parameters in a microenvironment quantitatively.However,the depth of imaging is generally limited to hundreds of micrometers due to aberration and light scattering in biological tissues.This paper introduces an iterative multi-photon adaptive compensation technique(IMPACT)into a two-photon fluorescence lifetime microscopy system to successfully overcome aberrations and multiple scattering problems in deep tissues.It shows that 400 correction modes can be achieved within 5 min,which was mainly limited by the frame rate of a spatial light modulator.This system was used for high-resolution imaging of mice brain tissue and live zebrafish,further verifying its superior performance in imaging quality and photon accumulation speed.

Ultrafast Spectral Studies of the Primary Processes of Photosynthesis in Spinach and Water Hyacinth Leaves

The authors have studied the spectroscopic characteristics and the fluorescence lifetime for the chloroplasts from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms.) plant leaves by absorption spectra, low temperature steady_state fluorescence spectroscopy and single photon counting measurement under the same conditions. The absorption spectra at room temperature for the spinach and water hyacinth chloroplasts are similar, which show that different plants can efficiently absorb light of same wavelength. The low temperature steady_state fluorescence spectroscopy for the water hyacinth chloroplast reveals a poor balance of photon quantum between two photosystems. The fluorescence decays in PSⅡ measured at the natural Q A state for the chloroplasts have been fitted by a three_exponential kinetic model. The slow lifetime fluorescence component is assigned to a collection of associated light harvesting Chl a/b proteins, the fast lifetime component to the reaction center of PSⅡ and the middle lifetime component to the delay fluorescence of recombination of P + 680 and Pheo -. The excited energy conversion efficiency (η) in PSⅡ RC is 87% and 91% respectively for the water hyacinth and spinach chloroplasts calculated on the 20 ps model. This interesting result is not consistent with what is assumed that the efficiency is 100% in PSⅡ RC. The results in this paper also present a support for the 20 ps electron transfer time constant in PSⅡ RC. On the viewpoint of excitation energy conversion efficiency, the growing rate for the water hyacinth plan is smaller than that for the spinach plant. But, authors' results show those plants can perform highly efficient transfer of photo_excitation energy from the light_harvesting pigment system to the reaction center (approximately 100%).

Facile and Scalable Preparation of Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Multifunctional Applications

The synthesis of fluorescent nanomaterials has received considerable attention due to the great potential of these materials for a wide range of applications, from chemical sensing through bioimaging to optoelectron- ics. Herein, we report a facile and scalable approach to prepare fluorescent carbon dots （FCDs） via a one-pot reaction of citric acid with ethylenediamine at 150 ℃ under ambient air pressure. The resultant FCDs pos- sess an optical bandgap of 3.4 eV and exhibit strong excitation-wavelength-independent blue emission （λEm = 450 nm） under either one- or two-photon excitation. Owing to their low cytotoxicity and long fluorescence lifetime, these FCDs were successfully used as internalized fluorescent probes in human cancer cell lines （HeLa cells） for two-photon excited imaging of cells by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy with a high-contrast resolution. They were also homogenously mixed with commercial inks and used to draw fluo- rescent patterns on normal papers and on many other substrates （e.g., certain flexible plastic films, textiles, and clothes）. Thus, these nanomaterials are promising for use in solid-state fluorescent sensing, security labeling, and wearable optoelectronics.

Aggregation-induced emission luminogen for in vivo three-photon fuorescence lifetime microscopic imaging

Compared with visible light,near infrared(NIR)light has deeper penetration in biological tisues.Three-photon fuorescence microscopy(3PFM)can effectively utilize the NIR excitation to obtain high-contrast images in the deep tisue.However,the weak three photon fluorescence signals may be not well presented in the traditional fuorescence intensity imaging mode.Fluorescence lifetime of certain probes is insensitive to the intensity of the excitation laser.Moreover,fluorescence lifetimne imaging microscopy(FLIM)can detect weak signals by utilizing time correlated single photon counting(TCSPC)technique.Thus,it would be an improved strategy to combine the 3PFM imaging with the FLIM together.Herein,DCDPP-2TPA,a novel agegation-induced emission luminogen(AIEgen),was adopted as the fluorescent probes.The three-photon absorption cros-section of the AlEgen,which has a deep-red fluorescence emission,was proved to be large.DCDPP-2TPA nanoparticles were synthesized,and the three photon fluorescence lifetime of which was measured in water.Moreover,in vrivo thre-photon fuorescence lifetime microscopic imaging of a craniotomy mouse was conducted via a home made optical system.High contrast cerebrovascular images of different vertical depths were obtained and the maximun depth was about 600 pumn.Even reaching the depth of 600 pum,tiny capillary vessels as small as 1.9 pum could still be distinguished.The three photon fuorescence lifetimes of the capillaries in some representative images were in accord with that of DCDPP-2TPA nanoparticles in water.A vivid 3D reconstruction was further organized to present a wealth of lifetime information.In the future,the combination strategy of 3PFM and FLIM could be further applied in the brain functional imaging.

Two-photon excitation fuorescence lifetime imaging microscopy:A promising diagnostic tool for digestive tract tumors

Digestive tract tumors acount for 15%and 19.3%of the cancer incidence and deaths,respec-tively.Early detection of digestive tract tumors is crucial to the reduction of global cancer burden.Two-photon excitation fuorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(TP-FLIM)allows non-invasive,label free,three-dimensional,high-resolution imaging of living tisues with not only histological but also biochemical characterization ability in both qualitative and quantitative way.Benefiting from these advantages,this technology is protmising for clinical diagnosis of digestive tract tumors.In recent years,many efforts have'been made in this field and some remarkable progress has been achieved.In this paper,we overview the recent progress of TP-FLIM-based researches on digestive tract tumor detection.Among them,our latest results on the gastric cancer and esophageal cancer are elaborately depicted.Finally,we outlook and discuss the potential advantages and challenges of TP-FLIM in future clinical applications.

Characterization of Interaction Between Raltitrexed and Bovine Serum Albumin by Optical Spectroscopic Techniques

The interaction of raltitrexed（RTX） with bovine serum albumin（BSA） was investigated by steady state/lifetime fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism（CD） spectroscopy under the simulative physiological conditions.The results of fluorescence titration reveal that RTX could strongly quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA via a static quenching procedure.The obtained binding constant K A of RTX with BSA was 478630 and 44259 L/mol at 298 and 310 K,respectively.According to van＇t Hoff equation,the thermodynamic parameters ΔH,ΔG and ΔS were calculated,indicating that hydrophobic forces were the predominant intermolecular forces in stabilizing the complex.The binding process was a spontaneous process,in which Gibbs free energy change was negative.According to F rster＇s non-radioactive energy transfer theory,the distance r between donor（BSA） and acceptor（RTX） was 3.82 nm,suggesting that the energy transfer from BSA to RTX occurred with high probability.Displacement experiment and the number of binding sites calculation confirmed that RTX could bind to the site-I of BSA.Furthermore,the effects of pH and some metal ions on the interaction of RTX with BSA were also investigated.The results of synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra show that the RTX-BSA binding induced conformational changes in BSA.

Kinetics study of ultrafast electron transfer from sensitized dyes to silver halide microcrystals

Spectral sensitization micromechanism of cyanine dyes J-aggregate adsorbed on the tabular and cubic AgBr microcrystals with different dye concentrations is studied by using picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, and the dependences of electron transfer and spectral efficiency sensitization on different conditions are analysed in detail, With the steady spectroscopy, the wavelengths of absorption and fluorescence of J-aggregate adsorbed on AgBr microcrystals are found to shift to red relative to dye monomer. The spectrum of fluorescence has a red shift relative to the absorption peak. With the time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, the fluorescence decay curves of cyanine dyes J-aggregate adsorbed on the tabular and cubic AgBr grains are found to be fitted well by a double-exponential decay function. The fitting curves consist of a fast and a slow component. Because of the large amplitude of the fast component, this fast decay should be attributable mainly to the electron transfer from J-aggregate of dye to a conduction band of AgBr.

Photoluminescence properties and energy transfer in Y_2O_3:Eu^(3+) nanophosphors

The photoluminescence （PL） properties of Y203 ：Eu^3＋ nanophosphors were systematically investigated with the goal of improving the color quality and quantum efficiency of Y2O3 ：Eu^3＋ nanophosphors for potential applications in nano-scale devices. The emission spectra, excitation spectra and fluorescence decay curves were employed to trace the energy transfer process from Eu^3＋ at C3i site to Eu^3＋ at C2 site. The experimental results show that the energy transfer process becomes more and more efficient with the increase in the Eu^3＋ concentration. The emission of Eu^3＋ at C2 site is favorable because it has high radiative efficiency and better color quality. The successful suppress of the emission Eu^3＋ at C3i is especially important for its applications in general illumination or display technology. The quantum efficiency and color quality of Y203 ：Eu^3＋ can be improved by controlling the energy transfer between the Eu^3＋ at S6 site and Eu^3＋ at C2 site.

FLIM as a Promising Tool for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy(FLIM)has been rapidly developed over the past 30 years and widely applied in biomedical engineering.Recent progress in fluorophore-dyed probe design has widened the application prospects of fluorescence.Because fluorescence lifetime is sensitive to microenvironments and molecule alterations,FLIM is promising for the detection of pathological conditions.Current cancer-related FLIM applications can be divided into three main categories:(i)FLIM with autofluorescence molecules in or out of a cell,especially with reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,and flavin adenine dinucleotide for cellular metabolism research;(ii)FLIM with Förster resonance energy transfer for monitoring protein interactions;and(iii)FLIM with fluorophore-dyed probes for specific aberration detection.Advancements in nanomaterial production and efficient calculation systems,as well as novel cancer biomarker discoveries,have promoted FLIM optimization,offering more opportunities for medical research and applications to cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.This review summarizes cutting-edge researches from 2015 to 2020 on cancer-related FLIM applications and the potential of FLIM for future cancer diagnosis methods and anti-cancer therapy development.We also highlight current challenges and provide perspectives for further investigation.