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Functionalization of Silk by AIEgens through Facile Bioconjugation: Full‐Color Fluorescence and Long‐Term Bioimaging
Author(s) -
Liu Chenchen,
Bai Haotian,
He Benzhao,
He Xuewen,
Zhang Jianyu,
Chen Chao,
Qiu Yanping,
Hu Rong,
Zhao Fangxin,
Zhang Yunxiao,
He Wei,
Chau Joe H. C.,
Chen Sijie,
Lam Jacky W. Y.,
Tang Ben Zhong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202015592
Subject(s) - bioconjugation , surface modification , silk , biocompatibility , materials science , nanotechnology , fluorescence , biopolymer , chemistry , polymer , physics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy , composite material
Silkworm silk is a promising natural biopolymer for textile and biomedical applications for its remarkable flexibility, excellent biocompatibility and controllable biodegradability. The functionalization of silks makes them more versatile for flexible displays and visible bioscaffolds. However, fluorescent silks are normally fabricated through unstable physical absorption or complicated chemical reactions under harsh conditions. Herein, we developed a simple strategy for preparing fluorescent silks. Five aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with activated alkynes were synthesized by rational molecular design, and then reacted with silk fibers through facile metal‐free click bioconjugation. The resulting conjugates show bright full‐color emissions and high stability. A white light‐emitting silk was fabricated by simultaneous bioconjugation with red‐, green‐ and blue‐emissive AIEgens. The red‐emissive AIEgen‐functionalized silks were successfully applied for long‐term cell tracking and two‐photon bioimaging, demonstrating great potential for tissue engineering and bioscaffold monitoring.