Polymeric Dipicolylamine Interfaces for High Resolution Elemental Signal Mapping in Cytometric Technologies
Zhang Liu1*, Zhou Lan2, Wang Shao3, Chen Qu3, Lee Niu2,3
1College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P. R. China
2Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health, USA
3Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510280,
Guangdong Province, China
Zhang Liu, et al./Int.J. Chemical Concepts. 2023,9(2),pp 32-40
Abstract
Mass cytometry has emerged as a powerful platform for high-dimensional cellular analysis by
enabling simultaneous detection of multiple elemental labels at single-cell resolution. However, the performance
of this technology is fundamentally constrained by the efficiency, stability, and tunability of metal-chelating
interfaces used for signal encoding. In this study, we introduce polymeric dipicolylamine (DPA) interfaces as
a versatile material framework for high-resolution elemental signal mapping in cytometric technologies. By
integrating dipicolylamine chelating motifs into polymeric backbones, these interfaces enable multivalent metal
coordination, enhanced signal density, and improved elemental retention under cytometric operating conditions.
The polymeric architecture allows precise control over chelator distribution, molecular flexibility, and metal
loading capacity, thereby addressing key limitations associated with conventional small-molecule metal tags. We
demonstrate that polymeric DPA systems facilitate robust coordination of lanthanide and transition metal ions,
producing distinct and reproducible elemental signatures compatible with mass cytometric detection. Beyond
signal amplification, the modular nature of the polymer scaffold supports functional adaptability for surface
conjugation and biological interfacing. Collectively, this work establishes polymeric dipicolylamine interfaces
as a scalable and tunable platform for next-generation cytometric reagents, offering new opportunities for
multiplexed analysis, improved sensitivity, and expanded analytical resolution in elemental cytometry.
Keywords
Polymeric dipicolylamine; Mass cytometry; Elemental signal mapping; Metal chelation; Polymer metal interfaces; Lanthanide coordination; Multiplexed cytometry; Analytical biomaterials
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