Issue 14, 2016

Tuning BODIPY molecular rotors into the red: sensitivity to viscosity vs. temperature

Abstract

Viscosity variations in the microscopic world are of paramount importance for diffusion and reactions. In the last decade a new class of fluorescent probes for measuring viscosity has emerged termed ‘molecular rotors’, which allows quantitative mapping of viscosity in microscopically heterogeneous environments. Here we attempt to tune the absorption and emission of one such ‘molecular rotor’ based on the BODIPY fluorescent core into the red region of the spectrum, to allow better compatibility with the ‘tissue optical window’ and imaging of cells and tissues. We consequently find that our red-emitting BODIPY fluorophores are sensitive to environmental temperature rather than to viscosity, thus suggesting a new prototype for a ‘molecular thermometer’.

Graphical abstract: Tuning BODIPY molecular rotors into the red: sensitivity to viscosity vs. temperature

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Sep 2015
Accepted
30 Oct 2015
First published
09 Nov 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016,4, 2828-2833

Author version available

Tuning BODIPY molecular rotors into the red: sensitivity to viscosity vs. temperature

T. T. Vu, R. Méallet-Renault, G. Clavier, B. A. Trofimov and M. K. Kuimova, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 2828 DOI: 10.1039/C5TC02954F

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