Issue 2, 2016

Rational design of a water-soluble, lipid-compatible fluorescent probe for Cu(i) with sub-part-per-trillion sensitivity

Abstract

Fluorescence probes represent an attractive solution for the detection of the biologically important Cu(I) cation; however, achieving a bright, high-contrast response has been a challenging goal. Concluding from previous studies on pyrazoline-based fluorescent Cu(I) probes, the maximum attainable fluorescence contrast and quantum yield were limited due to several non-radiative deactivation mechanisms, including ternary complex formation, excited state protonation, and colloidal aggregation in aqueous solution. Through knowledge-driven optimization of the ligand and fluorophore architectures, we overcame these limitations in the design of CTAP-3, a Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probe offering a 180-fold fluorescence enhancement, 41% quantum yield, and a limit of detection in the sub-part-per-trillion concentration range. In contrast to lipophilic Cu(I)-probes, CTAP-3 does not aggregate and interacts only weakly with lipid bilayers, thus maintaining a high contrast ratio even in the presence of liposomes.

Graphical abstract: Rational design of a water-soluble, lipid-compatible fluorescent probe for Cu(i) with sub-part-per-trillion sensitivity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
25 Sep 2015
Accepted
17 Nov 2015
First published
01 Dec 2015
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2016,7, 1468-1473

Author version available

Rational design of a water-soluble, lipid-compatible fluorescent probe for Cu(I) with sub-part-per-trillion sensitivity

M. T. Morgan, A. M. McCallum and C. J. Fahrni, Chem. Sci., 2016, 7, 1468 DOI: 10.1039/C5SC03643G

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements