Uptake, Distribution, and Bioimaging Applications of Aggregation-Induced Emission Saponin Nanoparticles in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

The application of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) has heralded a new age in the analysis of subcellular events and has overcome many of the limitations of conventional fluorescent probes. Despite the extensive literature investigating AIEgens in mammalian cells, few reports exist of their bioimaging applications in plant cells. In this report, we describe the first systematic investigation of the uptake, distribution, and bioimaging applications of AIEgens and AIE saponin nanoparticles in the plant model system Arabidopsis thaliana. We find that the superior photostability, high colocalization with fluorescent proteins, and unique tissue-specific turn-on emission properties make AIEgens well-suited to tackle the emergent challenges faced in plant bioimaging.