Multifunctional self‐assembled micelles composed of Pluronics F127 polymer chains are
developed and investigated for chelation and selective detection of iron (III) in vitro and in
iron‐overloaded cells. Tetraphenylethene (TPE) is encapsulated into the micelle core and
the iron chelate drug deferoxamine (DFO) is conjugated to micelles to generate a
fluorescence quenching detection system termed DFO‐TFM for short, where T stands for
TPE, F for F127, and M for micelle. The key to the successful formation of this fluorescence …

May P. Xiong and co-workers construct multifunctional Pluronics F127 micelles for iron
chelation and fluorescence detection by introducing tetraphenylethene and the chelating
drug deferoxamine into self-assembling polymeric micelles in article 1700162.
Deferoxamine can simultaneously be used to chelate iron (III) and quench the fluorescence
emission of tetraphenylethene. This fluorescence “turn-off” process can be used to monitor
the iron chelation process in an iron overload cell model.