This paper reports a facile and effortless method to realize three-dimensional (3D) molecular third-harmonic-generation (THG) microscopy through the technique of resonance enhancement with absorbing dye. Hematoxylin, a popular absorbing stain, is applied as an example to verify the multiphoton resonant enhancement based on the 1230 nm excitation light and can selectively enhance THG yield at cell nuclear sites in the studied specimens, serving as a cell nucleus contrast agent. It is concluded that combining THG microscopy with the mature staining technique can readily achieve 3D molecular imaging without using fluorescence.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.