The Research Progress on One-component Photodiagnostic Nanomaterials Based on π-Conjugated Amphiphilic Polymers
Organic phototheranostic π-conjugated molecules exhibit great potential for bioimaging and tumor therapy applications due to their well-defined molecular structures,abundant excited state properties,large molar absorption coefficients,and excellent biosafety.However,the strong hydrophobicity of π-conjugated molecules severely restricts their practical applications in organisms.Current research is devoted to using amphiphilic polymer carriers to encapsulate hydrophobic π-conjugated molecules for water dispersion.This may lead to uncontrollable molecular leakage and cause severe liver and spleen enrichment.Synthesis of π-conjugated amphiphilic polymers and construction of one-component micelles have become an emerging strategy for developing phototheranostic materials.In this review,we summarized the recent research progress on one-component phototheranostic nanomaterials based on π-conjugated amphiphilic polymers.First,the category of phototheranostic π-conjugated molecules is introduced.Secondly,the constructions of one-component micelles are discussed in detail.The synthesis of π-conjugated amphiphilic polymers mainly includes the"graft to"and"graft from"methods.Also,the hydrophilic polymers for the synthesis of π-conjugated amphiphilic polymers are classified and discussed,mainly including synthetic polymers,such as polyethylene glycol and zwitterionic polymer,and biological macromolecules,like nucleic acids,peptides,polysaccharides and so on.Finally,the unique properties of these one-component π-conjugated nanomaterials and their applications in regulating molecular assembly,enhancing biocompatible properties,cellular and clinical imaging,and tumor therapy are reviewed.