Novel biocompatible AIEgen from natural resources: Palmatine and its bioimaging application

In recent years, aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) have been widely used in bioimaging, organic optoelectronics, chemical/biosensors and other fields. However, some shortcomings of AIEgens greatly limit their practical application, including complex synthesis, high cost, environmentally unfriendly and difficult to degrade. In this work, a good natural AIE material of palmatine (PA) was found, which is a total alkaloid extracted from the stems and roots of the plant Fibraurea recisa Pierre. According to its fluorescence characteristics through fluorescence spectrum and UV-Vis absorption spectrum analyses, indicating that it is an unconventional rotor-free AIEgen with good water-solubility and excellent solide-state emission characteristics. Moreover, PA has little cytotoxicity and has potential biological imaging ability. The results indicated that PA was a potential of natural material as promising AIE probes.

Automated summary

In this study, a natural AIE material, palmatine (PA), was discovered with good water-solubility and excellent solid-state emission characteristics, showing low cytotoxicity and potential biological imaging ability, indicating its potential as promising AIE probes.