NIR phosphorescent nano-assemblies

Vis-excited 700 nm afterglow

Near-infrared ultralong phosphorescent nanoparticles excitable by a phone flashlight, enabling low-background, high-contrast in vivo imaging of hypoxic tumors.

Junru, Chen · Weifeng, Nie · Mu, Yingxiao · Huo, Yanping · Li, Mingle · Feng, Xing · Peng, Xiaojun

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 2026

Specifications

Emission peak wavelength

{'zh': '635', 'en': '635'} nm

Emission peak wavelength

{'zh': '700', 'en': '700'} nm

Phosphorescence intensity

{'zh': '12', 'en': '12'} cd/m²

Phosphorescence lifetime

{'zh': '268', 'en': '268'} ms

Signal-to-background ratio

{'zh': '14.55', 'en': '14.55'}

Advantages

Excitable by phone flashlight

The nano-assembly can be excited by a commercial mobile phone flashlight, producing phosphorescence with a signal-to-background ratio of 14.55, eliminating the need for bulky lasers or UV sources.

NIR emission for deeper penetration

Emission peaks at 635 and 700 nm fall within the biological optical window, enabling deeper tissue imaging.

Long phosphorescence lifetime of 268 ms

The ultralong lifetime allows delayed imaging to completely avoid tissue autofluorescence, greatly enhancing detection sensitivity.

Applications

• in vivo fluorescence imaging：Time-resolved phosphorescence imaging eliminates autofluorescence for high-contrast in vivo imaging
• hypoxic tumor imaging：Imaging of hypoxic tumor microenvironment with SBR of 39.47 enables precise tumor localization
• nanoprobes：PMMA-encapsulated nanoprobes with good dispersibility can be directly used for in vivo imaging
• wearable optical sensing：Visible-light-excited phosphorescence facilitates integration into wearable devices for optical sensing