Rational Design of New Biocompatible Near-Infrared Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Aug 29, 2026

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) are promising nanomaterials for cancer theranostics, especially for fluorescence imaging and therapy where early detection and image-guided surgery are critical. Yet literature lacks rational design guidance and clear structure–property relationships to advance CPN development systematically. Here, a series of new donor–acceptor conjugated polymers were synthesized to evaluate effects of different donor groups on optical and biological performance. The resulting nanoparticles showed strong fluorescence, enhanced intensity in aqueous media, good photostability, and demonstrated nontoxicity and biocompatibility in HCT-116 and HUVEC cells. The study also examines cellular uptake mechanisms in HCT-116, supporting future rational design frameworks for next-generation CPNs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Background and limitations of optical contrast agents

Advantages of conjugated polymer nanoparticles

Study objective and design strategy

Prior related systems and research gap

This article is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 [pubs.acs.org/Macromolecules](pubs.acs.org/Macromolecules) Article Rational Design of New Biocompatible Near-Infrared Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications Aristea Pavlou, Athanasios Katsouras, Maria Markou, Alkmini Nega, Sofia Bellou, Panagiota Koralli, Andriana Schiza, Nikolaos Chalmpes, Vasilis G. Gregoriou, Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Theodore Fotsis, Apostolos Avgeropoulos, Michael G. Siskos, Carol Murphy, and Christos L. Chochos * Cite This: Macromolecules 2026, 59, 1429−1442 Read Online Downloaded via 94.7 1.169.12 on March 23, 2026 at 08:10:41 (UTC) . See [https://pubs.acs.org/sharingguidelines](https://pubs.acs.org/sharingguidelines) for options on how to legitimately share published articles. ACCESS Metrics & More Article Recommendations *sı Supporting Information ABSTRACT: Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) have gained significant attention as promising nanomaterials for cancer theranostics, particularly in fluorescence imaging and therapy, where early detection and image-guided surgery are crucial for effective treatment. Despite growing interest, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding rational design strategies and clear structure−property relationships for CPN development. Comprehensive design rules that guide the production of CPNs with optimized performance are still lacking, hindering the systematic advancement of this field. Addressing this gap, we synthesized a series of new donor−acceptor (D−A) conjugated polymers (CPs), each incorporating a common acceptor unit paired with three distinct donor groups to assess their impact on optical and biological properties. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited excellent characteristics as fluorescent contrast agents, including enhanced fluorescence intensity in aqueous media along with favorable photostability. Studies using human colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) confirmed the CPNs’nontoxic nature, strong fluorescence, and biocompatibility. Notably, this study is the first to investigate the cellular uptake mechanism of CPNs in HCT-116 cells, offering valuable insights into their biological interactions. These findings not only demonstrate the potential of these newly developed CPNs for fluorescence imaging of HCT-116 but also underscore the urgent need for rational design frameworks to guide the future development of next-generation CPNs. 1. INTRODUCTION Early detection of cancerous tumors is a cornerstone of effective treatment, as it significantly improves the chances of successful intervention and long-term survival. Despite advances in imaging technologies, a major barrier remains: the lack of highly specific and efficient optical contrast agents capable of distinguishing malignant from healthy tissues at the early stages of tumor development. Conventional optical contrast agents often exhibit poor photostability, limited brightness in biological environments, and nonspecific accumulation, which compromises imaging resolution and diagnostic accuracy. 1 This challenge is particularly evident in the detection of heterogeneous tumors, where generalized imaging tools fail to account for the molecular and cellular diversity across different cancer types and subtypes.2 CPNs synthesized from π-conjugated semiconducting polymers represent a promising platform for addressing these limitations due to their unique optical properties, such as strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) to shortwave infrared (SWIR) range, tunable fluorescence emission with high fluorescence quantum yields (QY), excellent photostability, and efficient nonradiative decay that make them excellent candidates for photoacoustic imaging, fluorescence-guided surgery, and photothermal therapy (PTT).3−6 © 2026 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society To move beyond generalized applications, our primary focus

FAQs

Why are conjugated polymer nanoparticles important for biomedical cancer applications?

They provide tunable near-infrared fluorescence and other optical behaviors that support imaging and therapeutic modalities, where early detection and guidance improve treatment outcomes.

What design strategy did the study use to improve CPN performance?

The researchers synthesized donor–acceptor conjugated polymers using a common acceptor unit paired with three different donor groups to evaluate how donor variation affects optical and biological properties.

How did the nanoparticles perform in biological tests and what safety observations were reported?

Experiments in HCT-116 and HUVEC cells indicated strong fluorescence signals, non-toxic behavior, and biocompatibility, supporting their suitability as fluorescent contrast agents.

Aug 29, 2026

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