近日，吉林大学的卢革宇&刘晓敏及其研究团队取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们成功研制出用于体外和体内硫化氢高选择性双模式传感和生物成像的上转换基手性纳米探针。相关研究成果已于2024年8月1日在国际知名学术期刊《光：科学与应用》上发表。

在这项研究中，研究人员通过将上转换纳米颗粒（UCNPs）和Cu_xOS纳米颗粒（NPs）封装在沸石咪唑酯骨架-8（ZIF-8）中，成功制备了手性UCNPs/Cu_xOS@ZIF纳米探针。研究人员选择了一种新型激发态能量分布调制的上转换纳米结构（NaYbF₄@NaYF₄: Yb, Er）作为荧光源和能量供体，以实现高效的荧光共振能量转移（FRET）。同时，采用Cu_xOS NP作为手性光源和能量受体，用于猝灭上转换发光（UCL）并提供圆二色性（CD）信号。

利用ZIF-8的天然吸附和分选特性，设计的纳米探针能够有效隔离其他常见干扰物的影响，从而在水溶液和活细胞中实现对H₂S的超灵敏、高选择性UCL/CD双模定量检测。尤为重要的是，该纳米探针还能够在体内追踪肿瘤内的H₂S。这项研究工作凸显了手性纳米复合材料在传感领域的多功能特性，为手性纳米材料在生物医学和生物分析领域的制备与应用开辟了全新的视野和思路。

据悉，手性组装体由于其多功能性，在生物检测、成像和治疗等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用，成为目前研究最为活跃的领域之一。

附：英文原文

Title: Upconversion-based chiral nanoprobe for highly selective dual-mode sensing and bioimaging of hydrogen sulfide in vitro and in vivo

Author: Lu, Yang, Zhao, Xu, Yan, Dongmei, Mi, Yingqian, Sun, Peng, Yan, Xu, Liu, Xiaomin, Lu, Geyu

Issue&Volume: 2024-08-01

Abstract: Chiral assemblies have become one of the most active research areas due to their versatility, playing an increasingly important role in bio-detection, imaging and therapy. In this work, chiral UCNPs/Cu_xOS@ZIF nanoprobes are prepared by encapsulating upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and Cu_xOS nanoparticles (NPs) into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The novel excited-state energy distribution-modulated upconversion nanostructure (NaYbF₄@NaYF₄: Yb, Er) is selected as the fluorescence source and energy donor for highly efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Cu_xOS NP is employed as chiral source and energy acceptor to quench upconversion luminescence (UCL) and provide circular dichroism (CD) signal. Utilizing the natural adsorption and sorting advantages of ZIF-8, the designed nanoprobe can isolate the influence of other common disruptors, thus achieve ultra-sensitive and highly selective UCL/CD dual-mode quantification of H₂S in aqueous solution and in living cells. Notably, the nanoprobe is also capable of in vivo intra-tumoral H₂S tracking. Our work highlights the multifunctional properties of chiral nanocomposites in sensing and opens a new vision and idea for the preparation and application of chiral nanomaterials in biomedical and biological analysis.

DOI: 10.1038/s41377-024-01539-6

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-024-01539-6