Organic afterglow probes: mechanisms, chemical design, performance optimization, and biomedical applications
Abstract
, X-ray or ultrasound) to overcome optical penetration limitations. Representative applications of activatable afterglow nanoprobes are highlighted, covering analyte sensing, lymph node mapping, immune cell imaging, tumor detection, inflammation imaging, and image-guided therapy. Finally, we address current challenges including oxygen dependence, biocompatibility, unified evaluation standards, and scalability, and propose future directions to promote the translation of afterglow probes in precision biomedicine. This review is expected to provide practical references for the rational design and comparative evaluation of such probes.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials
Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Chemical Society Reviews
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 5949–6003
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN