Fluorescent Polymersomes with Aggregation-Induced Emission

Fluorescent polymersomes are interesting systems for cell/tissue imaging and in vivo study of drug distribution and delivery. We report on bright fluorescent polymersomes with aggregation-induced emission self-assembled by a series of tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-containing amphiphilic biodegradable block copolymers, where the hydrophilic block is a polyethylene glycol and hydrophobic block is a TPE-substituted trimethylenecarbonate polymer P(TPE-TMC). Their self-assemblies in water were prepared by nanoprecipitation using dioxane or tetrahydrofuran as co-solvent, and the self-assembling processes were studied in detail by cryo-electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and spectrofluorometer. The polymersomes are formed via the closure of bilayer lamellae self-assembled first by amphiphilic block copolymers. The polymersome membrane affords a nanosize bright fluorescent system with self-assembly induced emission in the thickness scale of 10–15 nm. The control of the whole size of polymersome is achieved...