Rolling "wool-balls": rapid live-cell mapping of membrane sialic acids via poly-p-benzoquinone/ethylenediamine nanoclusters.

Here, we report a convenient, fast labeling strategy for the imaging of cell surface sialic acids (SAs, nine-carbon monosaccharides located at the terminals of cell surface sugar chains). This strategy is based on the synthesis of sticky, furry and fluorescent "wool-balls", which are wound into nanoclusters from p-benzoquinone/ethylenediamine polymer "wires". With abundant amino groups at the surface, the wool-balls can easily stick to the C-7 aldehyde group generated at the ends of periodate treated SAs in less than 30 min.