Liu Yanfeng, Peng Zheng, Peng Xiao, Yan Wei, Yang Zhigang, Qu Junle
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Front Chem. 2021 Apr 20;9:641330. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2021.641330. eCollection 2021.
First reported in 1994, stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy has long been regarded as a powerful tool for real-time superresolved bioimaging . However, high STED light power (10 MW/cm) is often required to achieve significant resolution improvement, which inevitably introduces phototoxicity and severe photobleaching, damaging the imaging quality, especially for long-term cases. Recently, the employment of nanoprobes (quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, carbon dots, polymer dots, AIE dots, etc.) in STED imaging has brought opportunities to overcoming such long-existing issues. These nanomaterials designed for STED imaging show not only lower STED power requirements but also more efficient photoluminescence (PL) and enhanced photostability than organic molecular probes. Herein, we review the recent progress in the development of nanoprobes for STED imaging, to highlight their potential in improving the long-term imaging quality of STED microscopy and broadening its application scope. We also discuss the pros and cons for specific classes of nanoprobes for STED bioimaging in detail to provide practical references for biological researchers seeking suitable imaging kits, promoting the development of relative research field.
受激辐射损耗（STED）显微镜于1994年首次报道，长期以来一直被视为实时超分辨生物成像的强大工具。然而，通常需要高STED光功率（10兆瓦/平方厘米）才能实现显著的分辨率提升，这不可避免地会引入光毒性和严重的光漂白，损害成像质量，尤其是在长期成像的情况下。最近，纳米探针（量子点、上转换纳米颗粒、碳点、聚合物点、聚集诱导发光点等）在STED成像中的应用为克服这些长期存在的问题带来了机遇。这些为STED成像设计的纳米材料不仅显示出更低的STED功率要求，而且与有机分子探针相比，具有更高效的光致发光（PL）和更高的光稳定性。在此，我们综述了用于STED成像的纳米探针开发的最新进展，以突出它们在提高STED显微镜长期成像质量和拓宽其应用范围方面的潜力。我们还详细讨论了用于STED生物成像的特定类别的纳米探针的优缺点，为寻求合适成像试剂盒的生物学研究人员提供实用参考，促进相关研究领域的发展。
