Supramolecular Luminescent Nano‐assemblies Based on Macrocycles and Amphiphiles for Cell Imaging

Let's see… Recent advances in the development and application of supramolecular luminescent nano-assemblies based on different functional building blocks in cell imaging are reviewed. These supramolecular luminescent nano-assemblies have wide applications in targeted imaging of specific organelles, drug delivery, and therapy.

Abstract

Supramolecular luminescent nano-assemblies for cell imaging have recently attracted increasing interest, not only because of their outstanding photophysical properties, but also because of their easy fabrication through supramolecular strategies, good biocompatibility, high stability to photo- and micro-environments in cells, and facile combination of imaging and synergistic therapy for cancers. Luminescence-based bioimaging has great advantages, such as high sensitivity, being non-invasive, and functioning in real-time, leading to its wide application in many fields, including disease research, drug research, cell markers, gene expression, gene function studies, and protein interaction. In this Review, recent progress in the application of macrocycle-mediated (e.g., cyclodextrins, cucurbiturils, calixarenes, and pillar[n]arenes) and functionalized amphiphilic molecule-based supramolecular luminescent nanoparticles in cell imaging, especially targeted cell imaging of specific organelles, is reviewed. The combination of imaging with drug delivery, gene delivery, and photodynamic therapy is also introduced.

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