Figures (2)  Tables (1)

    • Figure 1. 

      The applications of bioimaging techniques for studying the cytotoxicity of ENCs. Left: the internalization pathways of AIE-labeled ENCs into the cells[20]. Right: the sequential toxicity effects after the ENCs being internalized[23].

    • Figure 2. 

      Application of NIR-II AIEgens labeled ENCs in studying their kinetics in adult fish.

    • Imaging technique Spatial resolution Strength Limitation
      Confocal microscopy ~200 nm High specificity; suitable for living cells Requires fluorescent labeling
      TEM < 1 nm Ultrahigh resolution; detailed morphological information Sample fixation required; limited field of view
      LA-ICP-MS 1–10 μm High sensitivity; multi-element analysis Destructive to samples; limited molecular information
      Synchrotron-based
      X-ray fluorescence      		 ~50 nm Label-free; high penetration depth Limited accessibility; complex data analysis
      MRI ~50–100 µm Whole-body, excellent anatomy Low sensitivity for agent
      PET 1–2 mm Ultra-sensitive quantification Radioactivity, poor resolution
      NanoSIMS ~50 nm Isotopic/elemental sub-cellular map Destructive, complex
      STED ~30–70 nm Live-cell super-resolution High laser power required
      STORM ~20 nm Localizes single molecules over time Very slow; fixation
      Micro-CT ~1–50 µm Non-destructive 3D imaging; high-throughput
      capability; quantitative      		 Very low soft tissue contrast without stains; low sensitivity for trace NMs

      Table 1. 

      Widely employed bioimaging techniques