A NIR-II AIEgen with superior fluorescence and photothermal performance for precision theranostics.

A minor molecular tweak enhances NIR-II AIEgen fluorescence and photothermal performance, achieving a 1082 nm emission with 4.3% quantum yield and 69% efficiency.

• Why it matters: Improving both fluorescence brightness and photothermal capabilities is crucial for advancing precision tumor imaging and therapy, yet current designs often face a trade-off and complexity.
• What they did: Researchers modified the star NIR-II AIEgen 2TT-oC6B by less than 5% in molecular weight, creating ST-CZ, which exhibits superior properties suitable for biomedical imaging and therapy.
• The result: ST-CZ enables high-resolution cerebrovascular imaging at 19.0 micrometers and effective tumor ablation through synergistic photothermal immunotherapy, advancing biomedical theranostics.