A Renal-Clearable PEGylated Semiconducting Oligomer for the NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging of Tumor

Second near-infrared window fluorescence imaging (NIR-II FI) has attracted tremendous attention in bioimaging. Until now, most probes for NIR-II FI are nanomaterials that are metabolized via hepatobiliary metabolism. Such a metabolic pathway may take several months, causing long-term toxicity. Herein, we design and synthesize a renal-clearable PEGylated semiconducting oligomer (PSO) for the NIR-II FI of tumor. PSO is composed of a semiconducting oligomer (SO) backbone as an NIR-II fluorescence reporter and four poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains as water-soluble enhancers. PSO can emit an NIR-II fluorescence signal with the maximum emission at 1000 nm under the excitation of 808 nm light. PSO shows good biocompatibiity and can be partially cleared out of body via renal clearance. PSO can be utilized for the NIR-II FI of tumor as it can effectively accumulate into tumor.

Automated summary

Second near-infrared window fluorescence imaging (NIR-II FI) has gained significant attention in the field of bioimaging. However, most probes used for NIR-II FI undergo metabolization through the hepatobiliary pathway, which can lead to long-term toxicity. In this study, a renal-clearable semiconducting oligomer (PSO) was designed and synthesized for NIR-II FI of tumors. PSO consists of a semiconducting oligomer backbone as a fluorescence reporter and poly(ethylene glycol) side chains for water solubility. PSO emits an NIR-II fluorescence signal with a maximum emission at 1000 nm under excitation of 808 nm light. PSO exhibits good biocompatibility and can be partially cleared through renal clearance, making it a suitable probe for NIR-II FI of tumors as it effectively accumulates in the tumor.