Resonant Raman-Active Polymer Dot Barcodes for Multiplex Cell Mapping

Resonance Raman spectroscopy is an efficient tool for multiplex imaging because of the narrow bandwidth of the electronically enhanced vibrational signals. However, Raman signals are often overwhelmed by concurrent fluorescence. In this study, we synthesized a series of truxene-based conjugated Raman probes to show structure-specific Raman fingerprint patterns with a common 532 nm light source. The subsequent polymer dot (Pdot) formation of the Raman probes efficiently suppressed fluorescence via aggregation-induced quenching and improved the dispersion stability of particles without leakage of Raman probes or particle agglomeration for more than 1 year. Additionally, the Raman signal amplified by electronic resonance and increased probe concentration exhibited over 10³ times higher relative Raman intensities versus 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine, enabling successful Raman imaging. Finally, multiplex Raman mapping was demonstrated with a single 532 nm laser using six Raman-active and biocompatible Pdots as barcodes for live cells. Resonant Raman-active Pdots may suggest a simple, robust, and efficient way for multiplex Raman imaging using a standard Raman spectrometer, suggesting the broad applicability of our strategy.