A new fluorescent probe for Zn²⁺ with red emission and its application in bioimaging.
A new fluorescent probe, (E)-3-(3-(4-([2,2':6',2''-terpyridin]-4'-yl)phenyl)acryloyl)-7-(diethylamino)-2H-chromen-2-one (ZC-F4), composed of coumarin as the fluorophore and terpyridine as the receptor was designed and synthesized. This probe showed good selectivity and sensitivity towards Zn(2+) even at the ppb level with significant variation of emission wavelength (more than 100 nm shifts) after combination with Zn(2+). One can observe that the emission colour changed from green to red. A Job's plot test suggested a 1 : 1 stoichiometry between ZC-F4 and Zn(2+), and the theoretical calculation based on density functional theory has been carried out to gain an insight into the sensing mechanism. Furthermore, imaging of Zn(2+) in cells was also performed to test its feasibility in biology. This fluorescence probe should be a promising candidate for applications in cell-imaging, environment protection, water treatment and safety inspection.
State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Cyrus Tang Center for Sensor Materials and Applications, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. gdqian@zju.edu.cn yuyang@zju.edu.cn.
Yiqun
Y
Tan
Min
M
Liu
Junkuo
J
Gao
Jiancan
J
Yu
Yuanjing
Y
Cui
Yu
Y
Yang
Guodong
G
Qian
D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000032:analysis; D003374:Coumarins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011725:Pyridines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
C517923:(2,2'-6',2'')-terpyridine; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D003374:Coumarins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011725:Pyridines; C030123:coumarin; D015032:Zinc