A Sequential Dual‐Lock Strategy for Photoactivatable Chemiluminescent Probes Enabling Bright Duplex Optical Imaging
Yutao Zhang, Chenxu Yan, Chao Wang, Zhiqian Guo, Xiaogang Liu, Weihong Zhu
Abstract
Abstract Chemiluminescence (CL)‐based technologies have revolutionized in vivo monitoring of biomolecules. However, significant technical hurdles have limited the achievement of trigger‐controlled, bright, and enriched CL signal. Herein, a dual‐lock strategy uses sequence‐dependent triggers for bright optical imaging with real‐time fluorescent signal and ultra‐sensitive CL signal. These probes can obtain an analyte‐triggered accumulation of stable pre‐chemiluminophore with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), and then the pre‐chemiluminophore exhibits a rapid photooxidation process (1,2‐dioxetane generation) by TICT‐based free‐radical addition, thereby achieving an enrichment and bright CL signal. The dual‐lock strategy expands the in vivo toolbox for highly accurate analysis and has for the first time allowed access to accurately sense and trace biomolecules with high‐resolution, dual‐mode of chemo‐fluoro‐luminescence, and three‐dimensional (3D) imaging in living animals.