title: RuNH2@AuNPs as two-photon luminescent probes for thiols in living cells and tissues.
abstract: Two-photon luminescent sensors have emerged as promising molecular tools for imaging biomolecules in living systems. Here, we present hybrid gold nanocomposites RuNH2@AuNPs as luminescence off-on probes in response to thiols, which can replace the Ru(II) complexes on the surfaces of the AuNPs to release the luminophore RuNH2. The liberated Ru(II) complexes exhibit strong two-photon luminescence and a large two-photon absorption cross section by using the two-photon excitation wavelength at 800 nm. Furthermore, the probe responses toward thiols with high selectivity and insensitivity to pH over the biologically relevant pH range. This two-photon probe can visualize biological thiols levels in live cells as well as in living mouse tissues at depths of 80-170 μm by two-photon microscopy.
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Pingyu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Jinquan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Huaiyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Hongming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Ruilin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Liangnian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China. Electronic address: ceschh@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006624:Hippocampus; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D049449:Luminescence; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D017785:Photons; D051381:Rats; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D006046:Gold; D012428:Ruthenium
keywords: Gold nanospheres; Ru(II) complex; Thiols; Two-photon probe