Poly(2-oxazoline)-based nanoparticles with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) for targeted cell imaging

Poly(2-oxazoline)-based nanoparticles with AIE feature were prepared for targeted cell imaging. First, P(EtOx-BuOx) was fabricated by subsequent cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP). Then, the folate was attached to the end chains of P(EtOx-BuOx). AIE-active TPEMN was conjugated to the side chains of P(EtOx-BuOx) through ‘‘thio-ene’’ click reactions. Cellular experiments demonstrated that the nanocomposites had well dispersity in the physiological environment and could be internalized by folate receptor (FR)-positive cells. We envision that this research endows a simple approach to the fabrication of stable fluorescent polymeric nanocomposites, which display favorable biocompatibility and immense potential for applications in biological imaging and cell detection.