Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, McCormick Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA.
Difluoroboron dibenzoylmethane-polylactide, BF(2)dbmPLA, a biocompatible polymer-luminophore conjugate was fabricated as nanoparticles. Spherical particles <100 nm in size were generated via nanoprecipitation. Intense blue fluorescence, two-photon absorption, and long-lived room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) are retained in aqueous suspension. The nanoparticles were internalized by cells and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Luminescent boron biomaterials show potential for imaging and sensing.