A cucurbituril/polysaccharide/carbazole ternary supramolecular assembly for targeted cell imaging

Abstract

A carbazole derivative (G) was synthesized as a photosensitizer to complex with cucurbit[8]uril, resulting in a nanocube with emission at 662 nm for lysosome cell imaging. Furthermore, the alkyl chain on G was included by α-cyclodextrine-modified hyaluronic acid for further assembly, affording a system targeted to cancer cells.