Dual-emissive Polymer Dots for Rapid Detection of Fluoride in Pure Water and Biological Systems with Improved Reliability and Accuracy

It is of paramount importance to develop new probes that can selectively, sensitively, accurately and rapidly detect fluoride in aqueous media and biological systems, because F(-) is found to be closely related to many health and environmental concerns. Herein, a dual-emissive conjugated polyelectrolyte P1 containing phosphorescent iridium(III) complex was designed and synthesized, which can form ultrasmall polymer dots (Pdots) in aqueous media. The F(-)-responsive tert-butyldiphenylsilyl moiety was introduced into iridium(III) complex as the signaling unit for sensing F(−) with the quenched phosphorescence. Thus, the dual-emissive Pdots can rapidly and accurately detect F(−) in aqueous media and live cells as a ratiometric probe by measuring the change in the ratio of the F(−)-sensitive red phosphorescence from iridium(III) complex to the F(−)-insensitive blue fluorescence from polyfluorene. Moreover, the interaction of Pdots with F(−) also changes its emission lifetime, and the lifetime-based detection of F(−) in live cells has been realized through photoluminescence lifetime imaging microscopy for the first time. Both the ratiometric luminescence and lifetime imaging have been demonstrated to be resistant to external influences, such as the probe’s concentration and excitation power. This study provides a new perspective for the design of promising Pdots-based probes for biological applications.