Perfluorocarbon‐Based (19)F MRI Nanoprobes for In Vivo Multicolor Imaging

In vivo multicolor imaging is important for monitoring multiple biomolecular or cellular processes in biology. (19)F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging in vivo imaging technique because it can non‐invasively visualize (19)F nuclei without endogenous background signals. Therefore, (19)F MRI probes capable of multicolor imaging are in high demand. Herein, we report five types of perfluorocarbon‐encapsulated silica nanoparticles that show (19)F NMR peaks with different chemical shifts. Three of the nanoprobes, which show spectrally distinct (19)F NMR peaks with sufficient sensitivity, were selected for in vivo multicolor (19)F MRI. The nanoprobes exhibited (19)F MRI signals with three colors in a living mouse. Our in vivo multicolor system could be utilized for evaluating the effect of surface functional groups on the hepatic uptake in a mouse. This novel multicolor imaging technology will be a practical tool for elucidating in vivo biomolecular networks by (19)F MRI.