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Progress in oxygen-resistant and efficient organic triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion luminescence
- Synthetic Biology Journal Vol. 7, Issue 1, Pages: 200-216(2026)
- 作者机构：
天津市生物传感与分子识别重点实验室，分析科学研究中心，有机新物质创造前沿科学中心，海河可持续化学转化实验室，南开大学化学学院，天津 300071
- 作者简介：
- 基金信息：
DOI：10.12211/2096-8280.2025-034
CLC： O65;Q81Received：16 April 2025，
Revised：2025-05-24，
Published：28 February 2026
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
齐放， 裴晨旭， 李嘉尧， 彭怡， 林雯月， 冯红娟， 黄灵. 耐氧、高效的有机三重态-三重态湮灭上转换发光研究进展［J］. 合成生物学， 2026， 7（1）： 200-216
QI Fang， PEI Chenxu， LI Jiayao， PENG Yi， LIN Wenyue， FENG Hongjuan， HUANG Ling. Progress in oxygen-resistant and efficient organic triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion luminescence［J］. Synthetic Biology Journal， 2026， 7（1）： 200-216
齐放， 裴晨旭， 李嘉尧， 彭怡， 林雯月， 冯红娟， 黄灵. 耐氧、高效的有机三重态-三重态湮灭上转换发光研究进展［J］. 合成生物学， 2026， 7（1）： 200-216 DOI： 10.12211/2096-8280.2025-034.
QI Fang， PEI Chenxu， LI Jiayao， PENG Yi， LIN Wenyue， FENG Hongjuan， HUANG Ling. Progress in oxygen-resistant and efficient organic triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion luminescence［J］. Synthetic Biology Journal， 2026， 7（1）： 200-216 DOI： 10.12211/2096-8280.2025-034.
摘要
基于三重态-三重态湮灭机制的上转换发光（TTA-UC）材料因其独特的光物理特性，在生物医学领域展现出广阔的应用前景。这类材料通过双光子吸收过程实现低能量激发光向高能量发射光的转换，使其在深层组织成像、精准光动力治疗及神经调控等前沿领域具有重要应用价值。然而，氧分子对三重激发态的非辐射猝灭效应严重制约了TTA-UC材料在生物医学中的实际应用。针对这一技术瓶颈，近十年来国内外多个研究团队相继提出了多种抑制氧分子猝灭效应的创新策略。本文系统梳理了当前构建耐氧高效TTA-UC材料的主要技术路径，主要包括提高TTA-UC分子体系的光稳定性的方法、利用还原性油滴清除氧气的策略以及通过微观结构调控分子间三重态能量转移速率的路径，重点阐释了这些方法的工作机理，并系统评估各类方法的优势与局限性。指出了发展TTA-UC纳米颗粒面临的主要挑战，并展望在不久的将来TTA-UC将会与合成生物学交叉融合，发展出生物合成的上转换蛋白，推动上转换发光成为基础的生命科学研究工具，以期在多个领域得到实际应用。
Abstract
As novel photon upconversion materials
the low excitation intensity
high upconversion quantum efficiency
and tunable absorption/emission wavelengths of triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC)-based materials are a promising candidate for biomedical applications. These materials facilitate the conversion of low-energy photons to high-energy emissions through a bimolecular absorption process
which is regulated by the triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) of photosensitizers and the triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) of annihilators. TTA-UC’s cutting-edge applications
including deep-tissue imaging
targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT)
and precise optogenetic
are characterized by their nonlinear optical properties
which enable them to surpass the penetration depth constraints of conventional fluorescent materials. However
molecular oxygen (
3
O
2
) induces non-radiative decay pathways
resulting in severe quenching effects that significantly reduce upconversion quantum efficiency
particularly in physiological environments. In the past decade
researchers worldwide have developed a variety of innovative strategies to mitigate the oxygen-quenching effect to address this technical barrier. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current scientific approaches for the development of high-performance and oxygen-resistant TTA-UC materials
with an emphasis on the elucidation of their underlying working mechanisms: (1) The stabilization of TTA-UC pairs through synergistic electron-deficient g
roup modifications and molecular conformation engineering to improve photostability; (2) Oxygen-resistant TTA-UC nanoparticles can be achieved through reductive oil-droplets as soft cores; (3) The kinetics of intermolecular triplet energy transfer can be optimized for oxygen tolerance through microstructural regulation. These approaches are critically assessed with respect to their advantages and disadvantages. Additionally
this review evaluates primary obstacles that TTA-UC nanoparticles face
such as the improvement of TTA-UC efficacy in the near-infrared region and the development of novel TTA-UC nanoparticle preparation strategies and surface bioconjugate chemistry. It is suggested that TTA-UC be integrated with synthetic biology to facilitate the development of biosynthesized upconversion proteins
favor the establishment of upconversion luminescence as a fundamental tool in life sciences
and facilitate its practical implementation across multiple biomedical fields in the near future.
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references
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