Luminescent bimetallic lanthanide bioprobes for cellular imaging with excitation in the visible-light range

Two- and three-dimensional lanthanide-based coordination polymers assembled by the synergistic effect of various lanthanide radii and flexibility of a new binicotinate-containing ligand: in situ synthesis, structures, and properties

The design and synthesis of ten novel coordination polymers was investigated. They have three structural types from 3D to 2D due to the synergistic effect of lanthanide contraction with diverse coordination modes and conformations of the ligand.

Highly emissive, solution-processable and dynamic Eu(iii)-containing coordination polymers

Preparation of new soluble dynamic coordination networks based on Eu(iii) and a new, rigid ditopic pybox-related ligand.

Time-resolved confocal microscopy using lanthanide centred near-IR emission

Time-resolved NIR imaging of lanthanide coated silica particles using Photon Arrival Time Imaging allows fast acquisition of high contrast images based on the probe luminescence lifetime.

Lighting up cells with lanthanide self-assembled helicates

Lanthanide bioprobes and bioconjugates are ideal luminescent stains in view of their low propensity to photobleaching, sharp emission lines and long excited state lifetimes permitting time-resolved detection for enhanced sensitivity. We show here how the interplay between physical, chemical and biochemical properties allied to microfluidics engineering leads to self-assembled dinuclear lanthanide luminescent probes illuminating live cells and selectively detecting biomarkers expressed by cancerous human breast cells.

How to build a time-gated luminescence microscope

The sensitivity of filter-based fluorescence microscopy techniques is limited by autofluorescence background. Time-gated detection is a practical way to suppress autofluorescence, enabling higher contrast and improved sensitivity. In the past few years, three groups of authors have demonstrated independent approaches to build robust versions of time-gated luminescence microscopes. Three detailed, step-by-step protocols are provided here for modifying standard fluorescent microscopes to permit imaging time-gated luminescence.

Synthesis and f-element ligation properties of NCMPO-decorated pyridine N-oxide platforms

Syntheses of hybrid N-attached CMPO decorated pyridine N-oxide ligands, computational, spectroscopic and structural characterization of their coordination interactions with lanthanide ions and survey solvent extraction analyses are described.

Synthesis and cell localization of self-assembled dinuclear lanthanide bioprobes

Lanthanide bioprobes and bioconjugates are ideal luminescent stains in view of their low propensity to photobleaching, sharp emission lines and long excited state lifetimes permitting time-resolved detection for enhanced sensitivity. In this paper, we expand our previous work which demonstrated that self-assembled dinuclear triple-stranded helicates [Ln2(L(C2X))3] behave as excellent cell and tissue labels in immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical assays. The synthetic strategy of the hexadentate ditopic ligands incorporating dipicolinic acid, benzimidazole units and polyoxyethylene pendants is revisited in order to provide a more straightforward route and to give access to further functionalization of the polyoxyethylene arms by incorporating a terminal function X. Formation of the helicates [Ln2(L(C2X))3] (X=COOH, CH2OH, COEt, NH2, phthalimide) is ascertained by several experimental techniques and their stability tested against diethylenetriaminepentaacetate. Their photophysical properties (quantum yield, lifetime, radiative lifetime and sensitization efficiency) are presented and compared with those of the parent helicates [Ln2(L(C2))3]. Finally, the cellular uptake of five Eu(III) helicates is monitored by time-resolved luminescence microscopy and their localization in HeLa cells established by co-staining experiments.

Sensitized near-infrared luminescence from Nd(III), Yb(III) and Er(III) complexes by energy-transfer from ruthenium 1,3-Bis([1,10]phenanthroline-[5,6-d]-imidazol-2 -yl)benzene

The luminescent ruthenium 1,3 -bis([1,10]phenanthroline-[5,6 -d]- imidazol-2 -yl)benzene (bpibH2) complex, a potentially useful bridging ligand with a vacant diimine site, has been used as 'metallo ligand' to make heterodinuclear d-f complexes by attachment of a {Ln(dik)3} fragment (dik = 1,3-diketonate) at the vacant site. When Ln = Nd, Yb, or Er the lanthanide centre has low-energy f-f excited states capable of accepting energy from the (3)MLCT excited state of the Ru(II) centre, there is quenching in the (3)MLCT luminescence of the Ru(II) centre, that affords sensitized lanthanide(III) based luminescence in the near-IR region. Nd(III) was found to be the most effective at quenching the (3)MLCT luminescence of the ruthenium component because of the high density of f-f excited states of the appropriate energy which make it as effective energy-acceptor compared to Er and Yb complexes.

Efficient enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-horsfiline

A new efficient and concise enantioselective synthetic method for (-)-horsfiline is reported. (-)-Horsfiline could be obtained from diphenylmethyl tert-butyl malonate in 9 steps (32%,>99% ee) by using the enantioselective phase-transfer catalytic allylation (91% ee) as the key step. This approach can be applied as a practical route for the large-scale synthesis of spirooxindole natural products, which enables a systematic investigation of their biological activity to be performed.

Luminescent cell-penetrating pentadecanuclear lanthanide clusters

A novel pentadecanuclear lanthanide hydroxy cluster [{Ln15(μ3-OH)20(PepCO2)10(DBM)10Cl}Cl4] (Ln = Eu (1), Tb (2)) featuring the first example with peptoids as supporting ligands was prepared and fully characterized. The solid-state structures of 1 and 2 were established via single-crystal X-ray crystallography. ESI-MS experiments revealed the retention of the cluster core in solution. Although OH groups are present, 1 showed intense red fluorescence with 11(1)% absolute quantum yield, whereas the emission intensity and the quantum yield of 2 were significantly weaker. In vitro investigations on 1 and 2 with HeLa tumor cells revealed an accumulation of the clusters in the endosomal-lyosomal system, as confirmed by confocal microscopy in the TRLLM mode. The cytotoxicity of 1 and 2 toward the HeLa cells is moderate.

Self-assembly of a helical zinc-europium complex: speciation in aqueous solution and luminescence

Two new tridentate(NNO)-bidentate(NN) compartmental ligands, HL⁵ and HL⁶, are synthesized from pyridine and benzimidazole synthons. They react in aqueous solution under physiological conditions with Zn^II, Ln^III, or a mixture thereof, to yield complexes of different stoichiometries, 1:3, 2:2, 2:3, 1:1:3, the speciation of which is established by UV-visible titrations and ESI mass spectrometry. Photophysical studies of the Eu^III-containing solutions in Tris-HCl 0.1 M (pH = 7.4) show that lanthanide luminescence arises from a unique N₆O₃ coordination site with pseudo D₃ symmetry. Relevant parameters such as crystal field splitting, lifetime, radiative lifetime, and intrinsic quantum yield perfectly match those reported for dinuclear 4f-4f helicates in which the Eu^III ion has the same coordination environment.

Synthesis and optical properties of macrocyclic lanthanide(III) chelates as new reagents for luminescent biolabeling

The convenient and efficient synthesis of two macrocyclic ligands (15- and 18-membered) based on a dipyrido-6,7,8,9-tetrahydrophenazine (dpqc) or 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (tpy) heterocycle and a DTTA (diethylenetriaminetriacetic acid) skeleton is described. In these ligands the DTTA skeleton contains an additional extracyclic functionality (NH(2) group) suitable for covalent attachment to bioactive molecules. These octa- and nonadentate ligands form very stable and luminescent neutral lanthanide complexes in aqueous solutions at physiological pH. The corresponding Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes are characterized by a maximum absorption wavelength compatible with nitrogen laser excitation (337 nm) and attractive lifetimes and quantum yields. Further introduction of a maleimide bioconjugatable handle in the Eu(III) complexes was investigated and a valuable luminescence brightness above 1500 dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1) at 337 nm was obtained with the corresponding Eu(III) tpy-derivative. Finally, these two luminescent chelates were grafted onto thiol residues of a model antibody (Mab GSS11) without loss of their luminescent properties.

Luminescent single-walled carbon nanotube-sensitized europium nanoprobes for cellular imaging

Lanthanoid-based optical probes with excitation wavelengths in the ultra-violet (UV) range (300–325 nm) have been widely developed as imaging probes. Efficient cellular imaging requires that lanthanoid optical probes be excited at visible wavelengths, to avoid UV damage to cells. The efficacy of europium-catalyzed single-walled carbon nanotubes (Eu-SWCNTs), as visible nanoprobes for cellular imaging, is reported in this study. Confocal fluorescence microscopy images of breast cancer cells (SK-BR-3 and MCF-7) and normal cells (NIH 3T3), treated with Eu-SWCNT at 0.2 μg/mL concentration, showed bright red luminescence after excitation at 365 nm and 458 nm wavelengths. Cell viability analysis showed no cytotoxic effects after the incubation of cells with Eu-SWCNTs at this concentration. Eu-SWCNT uptake is via the endocytosis mechanism. Labeling efficiency, defined as the percentage of incubated cells that uptake Eu-SWCNT, was 95%–100% for all cell types. The average cellular uptake concentration was 6.68 ng Eu per cell. Intracellular localization was further corroborated by transmission electron microscopy and Raman microscopy. The results indicate that Eu-SWCNT shows potential as a novel cellular imaging probe, wherein SWCNT sensitizes Eu³⁺ ions to allow excitation at visible wavelengths, and stable time-resolved red emission. The ability to functionalize biomolecules on the exterior surface of Eu-SWCNT makes it an excellent candidate for targeted cellular imaging.

Cell-permeable Ln(III) chelate-functionalized InP quantum dots as multimodal imaging agents

Quantum dots (QDs) are ideal scaffolds for the development of multimodal imaging agents, but their application in clinical diagnostics is limited by the toxicity of classical CdSe QDs. A new bimodal MRI/optical nanosized contrast agent with high gadolinium payload has been prepared through direct covalent attachment of up to 80 Gd(III) chelates on fluorescent nontoxic InP/ZnS QDs. It shows a high relaxivity of 900 mM(-1) s(-1) (13 mM(-1 )s(-1) per Gd ion) at 35 MHz (0.81 T) and 298 K, while the bright luminescence of the QDs is preserved. Eu(III) and Tb(III) chelates were also successfully grafted to the InP/ZnS QDs. The absence of energy transfer between the QD and lanthanide emitting centers results in a multicolor system. Using this convenient direct grafting strategy additional targeting ligands can be included on the QD. Here a cell-penetrating peptide has been co-grafted in a one-pot reaction to afford a cell-permeable multimodal multimeric MRI contrast agent that reports cellular localization by fluorescence and provides high relaxivity and increased tissue retention with respect to commercial contrast agents.

Luminescence resonance energy transfer in the cytoplasm of live Escherichia coli cells

Luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) offers many advantages for accurate measurements of distances between specific sites in living cells, but progress in developing a methodology for implementing this technique has been limited. We report here the design, expression, and characterization of a test protein for development of a LRET methodology. The protein, which we call DAL, contains the following domains (from the N-terminus): Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the third and fourth ankyrin repeats of p16(INK4a), a lanthanide-binding tag (LBT), and a hexahistidine tag. LBT binds Tb(3+) with a submicromolar dissociation constant. LRET was measured from the Tb(3+) site on LBT to transition metals bound to the hexa-His tag and to fluorescein methotrexate bound to DHFR. The measured distances were consistent with a molecular model constructed from the known crystal structures of the constituent domains of DAL. The results indicate that the two C-terminal ankyrin domains of p16(INK4a) are stably folded when combined with other protein domains. We found that Tb(3+) binds to DAL in the cytoplasm of live E. coli cells, and thus, DAL is useful as an indicator for studies of metal transport. We also used DAL to measure LRET from Tb(3+) to Cu(2+) in the cytoplasm of live E. coli cells. The rates of Tb(3+) and Cu(2+) transport were not affected by a proton uncoupler or an ATP synthase inhibitor. Reversal of the membrane potential had a small inhibitory effect, and removal of lipopolysaccharide had a small accelerating effect on transport. Changing the external pH from 7 to 5 strongly inhibited the Tb(3+) signal, suggesting that the Tb(3+)-LBT interaction is useful as a cytoplasmic pH indicator in the range of approximately pH 5-6.

Photophysical approaches to responsive optical probes

Responsive optical probes play a vital role in following and understanding biological events. In this review, we focus on the use of lanthanide complexes as molecular probes, as they offer many advantages in imaging and assays, particularly when used in time-gated protocols. We describe systems that illustrate the key photophysical approaches to achieving analyte-dependent signal modulation. In summary, this signal modulation can be achieved through changes either in the coordination sphere of the lanthanide or in the pathway of sensitized emission. In conclusion, we describe the main challenges to be overcome in the field of responsive probes, mainly the effective determination of concentrations in vivo and the development of probes with temporal responses adequate to follow fast processes.

Lanthanide-containing photoluminescent materials: from hybrid hydrogel to inorganic nanotubes

Functional photoluminescent materials are emerging as a fascinating subject with versatile applicability. In this work, luminescent organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogels are facilely designed through supramolecular self-assembly of sodium cholate, and lanthanide ions such as Eu(3+), Tb(3+), and Eu(3+)/Tb(3+). Fluorescence microscopy and TEM visualization demonstrates the existence of spontaneously self-assembled nanofibers and 3D networks in hybrid hydrogel. Photoluminescence enhancement of lanthanide ions is realized through coordination with cholate and co-assembly into 1D nanofibers, which can successfully shield the Eu(3+) from being quenched by water. The photoluminescence emission intensity of a hybrid hydrogel exhibits strong dependence on europium/cholate molar ratio, with maximum emission appearing at a stoichiometry of 1:3. Furthermore, the emission color of a lanthanide-cholate hydrogel can be tuned by utilizing different lanthanide ions or co-doping ions. Moreover, photoluminescent lanthanide oxysulfide inorganic nanotubes are synthesized by means of a self-templating approach based on lanthanide-cholate supramolecular hydrogels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the lanthanide oxysulfide inorganic nanotubes are prepared in solution under mild conditions.

Recent Highlights in the use of Lanthanide-directed Synthesis of Novel Supramolecular (Luminescent) Self-assembly Structures such as Coordination Bundles, Helicates and Sensors

In this short review, we focus on the recent developments within the field of coordination chemistry where mono- or multimetallic supramolecular self-assemblies are formed by employing structurally defined organic ligands, taking advantage of the high coordination requirements of the lanthanides. Such synthesis results in the formation of both structurally complex and beautiful self-assemblies. Moreover, as the lanthanide ions possess both unique magnetic (e.g. GdIII and DyIII) and luminescent properties, either in the visible (EuIII, SmIII and TbIII) or near-infrared regions (YbIII, NdIII, ErIII), these physical features are usually transferred to the self-assemblies themselves, allowing the formation of highly functional structures, such as coordination networks, as well as molecular bundles and helicates. Hence, examples of the use of lanthanide-directed synthesis of luminescent sensors, some of which are formed on solid surfaces such as gold (flat surface or nanoparticles), and imaging agents are presented. Moreover, we demonstrate that by using chiral organic ligands, lanthanide-directed synthesis can also give rise to the formation of enantiomerically pure self-assemblies, the structure of which can be probed using circularly polarized luminescence.

Time resolved spectroscopy of inorganic complexes

Time resolved spectroscopy has revolutionised our understanding of photochemical and photophysical reactions of inorganic complexes. In this review, we briefly describe the most common time resolved optical spectroscopic methods applied to inorganic complexes and outline some examples and highlights from the recent literature. The review is not intended to be exhaustive, but highlights key recent papers from coordination chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, carbonyl chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry, as well as, recent insights from ultrafast spectroscopy into the photophysics of important prototypes such as [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and [Cu(dmp)2]+. A brief perspective is then presented which discusses areas where time resolved spectroscopy of inorganic complexes could play a particularly important role in the next few years.