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    Narrow Stimulated Resonance Raman Scattering and WGM Lasing in Small Conjugated Polymer Particles for Live Cell Tagging and Tracking
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Haehnle, Bastian; Lamla, Markus; Sparrer, Konstantin M.J.; Gather, Malte C.; Kuehne, Alexander J.C.
    Conjugated polymer particles are brightly fluorescing and stable materials for live cell imaging. Combination of conjugated polymers with a whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator allows laser emission from microscale particles. Once internalized by cells, the mode pattern of the laser emission can be used for tagging and tracking, as each laser spectrum represents a bar code to identify individual cells. However, currently these particle systems are limited by their large size, which might interfere with cellular functions. Here, stimulated resonance Raman scattering (SRRS) in small conjugated polymer microparticles is presented as a new method for generating narrow emission as an alternative to WGM-based laser emission. This opens up spectral range for multiplexing optical readout and multicolor imaging of live cells. The synthesis of monodisperse micrometer-sized poly(fluorene-co-divinylbenzene) particles is discussed and their WGM and SRRS emission are characterized. Finally, how these particles and their emission can be employed in live cell imaging and tagging is showcased. © 2020 The Authors. Advanced Optical Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
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    Croconaine-Based Polymer Particles as Contrast Agents for Photoacoustic Imaging
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2020) Jansen, Felicitas; Lamla, Markus; Mauthe, Diana; Fischer, Stephan; Barth, Holger; Kuehne, Alexander J.C.
    In the development and optimization of imaging methods, photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has become a powerful tool for preclinical biomedical diagnosis and detection of cancer. PAI probes can improve contrast and help identify pathogenic tissue. Such contrast agents must meet several requirements: they need to be biocompatible, and absorb strongly in the near-infrared (NIR) range, while relaxing the photoexcited state thermally and not radiatively. In this work, polymer nanoparticles are produced with croconaine as a monomer unit. Small molecular croconaine dyes are known to act as efficient pigments, which do not show photoluminescence. Here, for the first time croconaine copolymer nanoparticles are produced from croconic acid and a range of aromatic diamines. Following a dispersion polymerization protocol, this approach yields monodisperse particles of adjustable size. All synthesized polymers exhibit broad absorption within the NIR spectrum and therefore represent suitable candidates as contrast agents for PAI. The optical properties of these polymer particles are discussed with respect to the relation between particle size and outstanding photoacoustic performance. Biocompatibility of the polymer particles is demonstrated in cell viability experiments. © The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH