A superfluorescent fluorenyl probe with efficient two-photon absorption.
The linear photophysical, excited state absorption (ESA), superfluorescence, and two-photon absorption (2PA) properties of 4,4'-(1E,1'E)-2,2'-(7,7'(1E,1'E)2,2'(4,4'-sulfonylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(ethane-2,1-diyl)bis(9,9-didecy-9H-fluorene7,2-diyl))bis(ethane-2,1-diyl)bis(N,N-diphenylaniline) (1) were investigated in organic and aqueous media with respect to its potential application in biological imaging. The analysis of linear photophysical properties revealed a rather complex nature of the main one-photon absorption band, strong solvatochromic effects in the steady-state fluorescence spectra, single-exponential fluorescence decay, and high fluorescence quantum yields in organic solvents (≈1.0). The ESA spectra of 1 suggested potential for light amplification in nonpolar media while efficient superfluorescence in cyclohexane was demonstrated. The degenerate 2PA spectra of 1 were obtained over a broad spectral range (640-900 nm), using a standard two-photon induced fluorescence method under 1 kHz femtosecond excitation. Two well defined 2PA bands with maximum 2PA cross sections up to 1700 GM in the higher energy, short wavelength band and ≈1200 GM in the lower energy, long wavelength band of 1 were shown. The potential use of 1 in bioimaging was demonstrated via one- and two-photon in vitro fluorescence imaging of HCT 116 cells.
Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 162366, Orlando, FL 32816-2366, USA. belfield@mail.ucf.edu
Kevin D
KD
Belfield
Mykhailo V
MV
Bondar
Florencio E
FE
Hernandez
Olga V
OV
Przhonska
Xuhua
X
Wang
Sheng
S
Yao
D000042:Absorption; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D017785:Photons; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
C558485:4,4'-(1E,1'E)-2,2'-(7,7'(1E,1'E)2,2'(4,4'-sulfonylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(ethane-2,1-diyl)bis(9,9-didecy-9H-fluorene7,2-diyl))bis(ethane-2,1-diyl)bis(N,N-diphenylaniline); D000814:Aniline Compounds; D005449:Fluorenes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C041509:fluorene