Reactivatable stimulated emission depletion microscopy using fluorescence-recoverable nanographene

Qiqi Yang, Antonio Virgilio Failla, Petri Turunen, Ana Mateos-Maroto, Meiyu Gai, Werner Zuschratter, Sophia Westendorf, Márton Gelléri, Qiang Chen, Goudappagouda, Hao Zhao, Xingfu Zhu, Svenja Morsbach, Marcus Scheele, Wei Yan, Katharina Landfester, Ryota Kabe (), Mischa Bonn (), Akimitsu Narita () and Xiaomin Liu ()
Additional contact information
Qiqi Yang: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Antonio Virgilio Failla: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Petri Turunen: Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH
Ana Mateos-Maroto: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Meiyu Gai: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Werner Zuschratter: Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology
Sophia Westendorf: University of Tuebingen
Márton Gelléri: Institute of Molecular Biology gGmbH
Qiang Chen: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Goudappagouda: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Hao Zhao: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Xingfu Zhu: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Svenja Morsbach: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Marcus Scheele: University of Tuebingen
Wei Yan: Westlake University
Katharina Landfester: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Ryota Kabe: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Mischa Bonn: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Akimitsu Narita: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Xiaomin Liu: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, a key optical super-resolution imaging method, has extended our ability to view details to resolution levels of tens of nanometers. Its resolution depends on fluorophore de-excitation efficiency, and increases with depletion laser power. However, high-power irradiation permanently turns off the fluorescence due to photo-bleaching of the fluorophores. As a result, there is a trade-off between spatial resolution and imaging time. Here, we overcome this limitation by introducing reactivatable STED (ReSTED) based on the photophysical properties of the nanographene dibenzo[hi,st]ovalene (DBOV). In contrast to the photo-induced decomposition of other fluorophores, the fluorescence of DBOV is only temporarily deactivated and can be reactivated by near-infrared light (including the 775 nm depletion beam). As a result, this fluorophore allows for hours-long, high-resolution 3D STED imaging, greatly expanding the applications of STED microscopy.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56401-z

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