Graphene oxide-based NIR fluorescence probe with aggregation-induced emission property for lectins detection and liver cells targeting

[Display omitted] Two new AIE-based glycosyl probes (PT-Man and PT-Gal) have been developed for the detection of lectin–sugar interactions, and they exhibit significant fluorescence enhancement upon addition of a selective lectin. Compared to the PT-Man and PT-Gal, GO-based glycosyl probes (PT-Man@GO and PT-Gal@GO) show better sensitivity and selectivity for the selective lectins. Moreover, the liver cancer cell line expressing transmembrane glycoprotein receptors can be specifically targeted by PT-Gal@GO in a fluorescence manner. •Two new NIR fluorescence probes (PT-Man and PT-Gal) were designed and synthesized.•PT-Man and PT-Gal exhibited obvious fluorescence enhancement to a specific lectin.•PT-Man@GO and PT-Gal@GO exhibited better sensitivity and selectivity for lectins.•PT-Gal@GO could target the liver cancer cell line (HepG2) in a fluorescence manner. Probing lectin–sugar interactions is crucial to understand important biological process as well as develop clinical diagnostics and drug for the disease. Effective tools that target these interactions are thus in great demand. In this paper, two new aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based glycosyl probes (PT-Man and PT-Gal) have been developed for the detection of lectin–sugar interactions in the near-infrared region (NIR). PT-Man and PT-Gal show significant fluorescence enhancement upon addition of a selective lectin with a relatively low detection limit. The fluorescence increment mechanism is ascribed to the aggregation of the AIE-based glycosyl probes after complexation with the selective lectin, which has been confirmed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement. Also, in order to further improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the probes, graphene oxide (GO) has been used as a platform to assemble with the two glycosyl probes. To our delight, the PT-Man@GO and PT-Gal@GO composites exhibit better sensitivity and selectivity for probing lectin–sugar interactions. In addition, due to the specific sugar-receptor interactions, the liver cancer cell line that over express the glycoprotein receptor can be specifically targeted by PT-Gal@GO.