Benzothiadiazole-containing conjugated polyelectrolytes for biological sensing and imaging

Abstract

This article summarizes the recent advances of benzothiadiazole (BT)-containing conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) for biological sensing and imaging. After a brief introduction of the molecular design principles, the application of linear BT-containing CPEs as multicolor or light-up probes for visual sensing of biomolecules is reviewed. Then, linear, grafted, and hyperbranched BT-containing CPEs that can self-assemble into nanoparticles or have intrinsic 3D structures for in vitro and in vivo imaging are summarized. The future outlook of BT-containing CPEs for biomedical applications is also discussed at the end.