Organic Nanoparticle Bioimaging Agents

Significance

A peroxalate ester containing polymer was synthesized and dispersed, along with fluorescent dyes, in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanoparticles. The peroxalate ester reacts specifically with hydrogen peroxide to form a dioxetanedione (M. M. Ranhut et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1967, 89, 6515), as evidenced by the high specificity of luminescent response of the nanoparticles to hydrogen peroxide over other reactive oxygen species. The dioxetanedione chemically excites the encapsulated dye resulting in luminescence (C. V. Stevani et al. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2000, 4037). This technique was demonstrated in vivo by injecting mice with the nanoparticles along with hydrogen peroxide and detecting the tissue penetrating high emission wavelength of the pentacene dye. An inflammation induced by a lipopolysaccharide injection was also detected by the nanoparticles.