Poly (m-chloroaniline) and poly (1-naphthylamine) based conjugated polymer for enhanced fluorescence imaging in diverse cell types

•A fluorescent probe was synthesized based on doped polyaniline chloro derivative.•Characterized by FTIR, UV-visible, fluorescence, AFM and BET analysis.•Poly(m-chloroaniline) has greater fluorescence intensity and is cytocompatible.•Poly(m-chloroaniline) shows enhanced fluorescence signals in diverse cell types.

Fluorescent probes, based on doped polyaniline, poly(m-chloroaniline) and poly(1-naphthylamine) have been tailored for in vitro cell imaging application. Its structure was characterized by FTIR, UV-visible, fluorescence, atomic force microscopy and BET surface area analysis. The intensity of fluorescence in poly(m-chloroaniline) and poly(1-naphthylamine) was much stronger compared to polyaniline alone. The optimal emitting properties of poly(m-chloroaniline), poly(1-naphthylamine) and polyaniline were related to both structure and shape of the particle and behave according to concentration dependent manner. The poly(m-chloroaniline) and polyaniline emits greenish blue color while poly(1-naphthylamine) exibits intense red and greenish blue color emission respectively. Poly(m-chloroaniline) and poly(1-naphthylamine) demonstrate highly enhanced signals for fluorescence based cell imaging in K-562, U2-OS and MCF-7 cells. Above compounds are cytocompatible, and with no significant loss of viability in K-562, U2-OS and MCF-7 cells following treatment. Higher concentration of the material however, causes moderate loss in viability of the cell besides inducing cytotoxicity. Luminescent micro particles of doped poly(m-cholroaniline) and poly(1-naphthylamine) showed significant potential for biological and diagnostic application.

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