Sulfur-based fluorescent probes for biological analysis: A review

The widespread adoption of small-molecule fluorescence detection methodologies in scientific research and industrial contexts can be ascribed to their inherent merits, including elevated sensitivity, exceptional selectivity, real-time detection capabilities, and non-destructive characteristics. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on small-molecule fluorescent probes engineered with sulfur elements, aiming to detect a diverse array of biologically active species. This review presents a comprehensive survey of sulfur-based fluorescent probes published from 2017 to 2023. The diverse repertoire of recognition sites, including but not limited to N, N-dimethylthiocarbamyl, disulfides, thioether, sulfonyls and sulfoxides, thiourea, thioester, thioacetal and thioketal, sulfhydryl, phenothiazine, thioamide, and others, inherent in these sulfur-based probes markedly amplifies their capacity for detecting a broad spectrum of analytes, such as metal ions, reactive oxygen species, reactive sulfur species, reactive nitrogen species, proteins, and beyond. Owing to the individual disparities in the molecular structures of the probes, analogous recognition units may be employed to discern diverse substrates. Subsequent to this classification, the review provides a concise summary and introduction to the design and biological applications of these probe molecules. Lastly, drawing upon a synthesis of published works, the review engages in a discussion regarding the merits and drawbacks of these fluorescent probes, offering guidance for future endeavors.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of liver-targeting fluorescent probes for detecting mercury ions

Three fluorescent glycosyl-rhodamine probes with good selectivity and sensitivity toward Hg²⁺ were developed. The detection limit of the probes toward Hg²⁺ is as low as 94.6 nM, which can be used to detect trace Hg²⁺ in solution. 1 : 1 stoichiometry was the most possible recognition mode of the probes toward Hg²⁺, and the OFF/ON mechanism of the probes toward Hg²⁺ could be attributed to the closing or opening of the rhodamine spiral structure caused by Hg²⁺. The detection of Hg²⁺ is reversible, which is beneficial for the recycling of probes. Moreover, these low cytotoxic probes can be safely and selectively applied to monitor Hg²⁺ levels in hepatocytes, and the fluorescence response follows a trend of Rho-Gal > Rho-Lac > Rho-Glu in HepG2 cells because the galactose group in Rho-Gal can selectively recognize ASGPR overexpressed on HepG2 cells.

A novel near-infrared fluorescence probe for detecting and imaging Hg2+ in living cells

Fluorescence imaging, as one of the important means of biological lesion analysis, is widely used in medical analysis. To improve detection specificity, near-infrared emission fluorescent probes have been developed. Sensitive and selective near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes for Hg²⁺ , which is a heavy metal ion harmful to human health, are urgently needed to investigate the physiological toxicity of Hg²⁺ . The NIR fluorophore based on the traditional structure of rhodamine was prepared by introducing anthocyanin functional groups, and a rhodamine spiro ring structure was constructed to recognize Hg²⁺ (CCS-Hg). The probe CCS-Hg demonstrated good selectivity and high detection sensitivity for Hg²⁺ and the most likely mechanism was verified through theoretical calculations. We applied the probe CCS-Hg in the examination of Hg²⁺ distribution in living cells by NIR fluorescence imaging. This work provides a promising molecular tool for studying the toxicological effects of mercury ions in cell.

Emergent Biosensing Technologies Based on Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Surface Plasmon Resonance

The purpose of this work is to provide an exhaustive overview of the emerging biosensor technologies for the detection of analytes of interest for food, environment, security, and health. Over the years, biosensors have acquired increasing importance in a wide range of applications due to synergistic studies of various scientific disciplines, determining their great commercial potential and revealing how nanotechnology and biotechnology can be strictly connected. In the present scenario, biosensors have increased their detection limit and sensitivity unthinkable until a few years ago. The most widely used biosensors are optical-based devices such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors and fluorescence-based biosensors. Here, we will review them by highlighting how the progress in their design and development could impact our daily life.

Research progress of near-infrared fluorescence probes based on indole heptamethine cyanine dyes in vivo and in vitro

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is a noninvasive technique that provides numerous advantages for the real-time in vivo monitoring of biological information in living subjects without the use of ionizing radiation. Near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dyes are widely used as fluorescent imaging probes. These fluorescent dyes remarkably decrease the interference caused by the self-absorption of substances and autofluorescence, increase detection selectivity and sensitivity, and reduce damage to the human body. Thus, they are beneficial for bioassays. Indole heptamethine cyanine dyes are widely investigated in the field of near-infrared fluorescence imaging. They are mainly composed of indole heterocyclics, heptamethine chains, and N-substituent side chains. With indole heptamethine cyanine dyes as the parent, introducing reactive groups to the parent compounds or changing their structures can make fluorescent probes have different functions like labeling protein and tumor, detecting intracellular metal cations, which has become the hotspot in the field of fluorescence imaging of biological research. Therefore, this study reviewed the applications of indole heptamethine cyanine fluorescent probes to metal cation detection, pH, molecules, tumor imaging, and protein in vivo. The distribution, imaging results, and metabolism of the probes in vivo and in vitro were described. The biological application trends and existing problems of fluorescent probes were discussed.

Activity-Based Sensing: A Synthetic Methods Approach for Selective Molecular Imaging and Beyond

Emerging from the origins of supramolecular chemistry and the development of selective chemical receptors that rely on lock-and-key binding, activity-based sensing (ABS)-which utilizes molecular reactivity rather than molecular recognition for analyte detection-has rapidly grown into a distinct field to investigate the production and regulation of chemical species that mediate biological signaling and stress pathways, particularly metal ions and small molecules. Chemical reactions exploit the diverse chemical reactivity of biological species to enable the development of selective and sensitive synthetic methods to decipher their contributions within complex living environments. The broad utility of this reaction-driven approach facilitates application to imaging platforms ranging from fluorescence, luminescence, photoacoustic, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography modalities. ABS methods are also being expanded to other fields, such as drug and materials discovery.

Dye-Assembled Upconversion Nanocomposite for Luminescence Ratiometric in Vivo Bioimaging of Copper Ions

Overdose of Cu²⁺ is associated with multiple diseases, such as Wilson disease, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease. Therefore, detections of Cu²⁺ in vivo and in vitro are meaningful. Near-infrared fluorescent probes are commonly applied for the detection of Cu²⁺ in real time. With mono detection signal provided, these probes are not persuasive when applied to complicated biological environments, such as cells and animals. In this report, we conjugated the organic fluorescent probe CYDAC₁₆ with the UCNPs (lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles) to develop a ratiometric luminescent probe for Cu²⁺. The composite material UCNPs-CYDAC₁₆ provides a ratiometric signal based on an upconversion luminescence 660 and 800 nm. With good sensitivity and selectivity for Cu²⁺, it works well in vivo and in vitro for the detection of Cu²⁺. We believe it is promising in further biological applications.

Hg2+-Promoted Spirolactam Hydrolysis Reaction: A Design Strategy for the Highly Selective Sensing of Hg2+ over other Metal Ions in Aqueous Media

A mercury sensor (N-(rhodamine-6G)lactam-ethylenediamine-4-dimethylamino-cinnamaldehyde—RLED) based on the Hg²⁺-promoted hydrolysis reaction has been designed and developed with a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental investigations. The interaction between RLED and Hg²⁺ goes through a fast-initial stage with formation of a 1:1 complex, followed by a slow hydrolysis process. The formation of durable intermediate complexes is due to quite a long hydrolysis reaction time. As a result, RLED can selectively detect Hg²⁺ in the presence of other metal ions, with a detection limit of 0.08 μM for the colorimetric method, and of 0.008 μM with the fluorescent method. In addition, the RLED sensor can work in a solution with a small amount of organic solvent, with a wide pH range from 5 to 10. The time-dependent density functional theory has been used for investigations of the excitation and de-excitation processes in RLED, intermediate complexes, and reaction products, thereby clarifying the changes in the fluorescence intensity before and after the RLED interacts with Hg²⁺ ions.

Site-Specific Labeling of Proteins with Near-IR Heptamethine Cyanine Dyes

Convenient labeling of proteins is important for observing its function under physiological conditions. In tissues particularly, heptamethine cyanine dyes (Cy-7) are valuable because they absorb in the near-infrared (NIR) region (750⁻900 nm) where light penetration is maximal. In this work, we found Cy-7 dyes with a meso-Cl functionality covalently binding to proteins with free Cys residues under physiological conditions (aqueous environments, at near neutral pH, and 37 °C). It transpired that the meso-Cl of the dye was displaced by free thiols in protein, while nucleophilic side-chains from amino acids like Tyr, Lys, and Ser did not react. This finding shows a new possibility for convenient and selective labeling of proteins with NIR fluorescent probes.

Upconversion core/shell nanoparticles with lowered surface quenching for fluorescence detection of Hg2+ ions

In this study, we reported a fluorescent nanoprobe assembled with upconversion core/shell nanoparticles and a chromophore ruthenium complex (N719@UCNPs).

Amino-Si-rhodamines: A new class of two-photon fluorescent dyes with intrinsic targeting ability for lysosomes

Noninvasive and specific visualization of lysosomes by fluorescence technology is critical for studying lysosomal trafficking in health and disease and for evaluating new cancer therapeutics that target tumor cell lysosomes. To date, there are two basic types of lysosomal probes whose lysosomal localization correlates with lysosomal acidity and endocytosis pathway, respectively. However, the former may suffer from pH-sensitive lysosomal localization and alkalization-induced lysosomal enzyme inactivation, and the latter need long incubation time to penetrate cell membrane due to the energy-dependency of endocytosis process. In this work, a new class of two-photon fluorescent dyes, termed amino-Si-rhodamines (ASiRs), were developed, which possess the intrinsic lysosome-targeted ability that is independent of lysosomal acidity and endocytosis pathway. As a result, ASiRs show not only the stable lysosomal localization against lysosomal pH changes and negligible interference to lysosomal function, but also excellent cell-membrane-permeability due to the energy-independent passive diffusion pathway. These merits, coupled with their excellent two-photon photophysical properties, long-term retention ability in lysosomes, and negligible cytotoxicity, make ASiRs very suitable for real-time and long-term tracking of lysosomes in living cells or tissues without interference to normal cellular processes. Moreover, the easy functionalization via amino linker further allows the construction of various fluorescent probes for biological targets of interest based on ASiR skeleton, as indicated by the cancer-targeted fluorescent probe ASiR6 as well as a fluorescent peroxynitrite probe ASiR-P.

A NIR fluorescent probe for the rapid detection of Hg2+ in living cells and in vivo mice imaging

A near-infrared fluorescent probe NIR-Hg, for the detection of Hg²⁺ ion, has been synthesized directly by condensing Changsha dye with 4-Phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide and the structure has fully characterized by ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, and ESI-MS. The probe has been designed on the basis of the reaction that Hg²⁺ ion promotes thiosemicarbazide to oxazole in aqueous media and had been induced to produce turn-on fluorescence via an irreversible spirolactam ring-opening process. The probe NIR-Hg has exhibited fast response (1 min), high sensitivity with 44-fold fluorescence intensity enhancement under six equivalent amounts of Hg²⁺ added, high selectivity over other related metal ions and a low detection limit of 5.8 × 10^-8 M in the phosphate buffer. The linear response range covers the concentration of Hg²⁺ from 5 × 10^-7 to 5 × 10^-6 M. In addition, the probe has good cell-membrane permeability, which is suitable for fluorescence imaging for Hg²⁺ in living cells and in vivo mice.

Ratiometric Photoacoustic Molecular Imaging for Methylmercury Detection in Living Subjects

Photoacoustic molecular imaging is an emerging and promising diagnostic tool for heavy metal ions detection. Methylmercury (MeHg+ ) is one of the most potent neurotoxins, which damages the brain and nervous system of human beings through fish consumption. The development of a selective and sensitive method for MeHg+ detection is highly desirable. In this Communication, we develope a chemoselective photoacoustic sensor (LP-hCy7) composed of the liposome (LP) and MeHg+ -responsive near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dye (hCy7) for MeHg+ detection within living subjects, such as zebrafish and mouse. The as-prepared LP-hCy7 nanoprobe displays unique dual-shift NIR absorbance peaks and produces a normalized turn-on response after the reaction of MeHg+ and hCy7 through a mercury-promoted cyclization reaction. The absorbance intensities of LP-hCy7 nanoprobe at 690 and 860 nm are decreased and increased, respectively. The ratiometric photoacoustic signal (PA860/PA690) is noticeably increased in the presence of MeHg+ . These findings not only provide a ratiometric photoacoustic molecular imaging probe for the detection of metal ions in vivo, but also provides a tool for spectroscopic photoacoustic molecular imaging.

Reaction-based conjugated polymer fluorescent probe for mercury(ii): good sensing performance with “turn-on” signal output

Based on a Hg²⁺-promoted deprotection reaction of dithioacetal, the conjugated polymer PDT showed high sensitivity with the detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ and 1 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ in solution and as test strips, respectively.

A rhodamine-based chemosensor with diphenylselenium for highly selective fluorescence turn-on detection of Hg2+in vitro and in vivo

A rhodamine-B based chemosensor with diphenylselenium, RhoSe, has been developed for highly selective fluorescent turn-on detection of Hg²⁺.

Dual-channel NIR activatable theranostic prodrug for in vivo spatiotemporal tracking thiol-triggered chemotherapy

Real-time tracking for where (W), when (W), and how (H) prodrugs are delivered and activated in vivo is a great challenge for prodrug development. Disulfide linkage-based prodrugs as well as their delivery systems have been studied extensively, but the WWH question in spatial and temporal (spatiotemporal) precision remains unanswered. Herein, we present a novel prodrug of camptothecin (CPT) linked to a near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dye via a disulfide linkage (Cy-S-CPT). The cleavage of the disulfide bond in Cy-S-CPT by endogenous glutathione (GSH) can activate the anti-cancer drug CPT and induce a remarkable fluorescence shift from 825 to 650 nm, thereby providing dual fluorescent channels to real-time track the prodrug biodistribution and activation in vivo. Impressively, the dual-channel NIR fluorescence bioimaging exhibits the pervasive drug distribution, i.e., the biodistribution of the intact prodrug was traced at the 825 nm-NIR fluorescence channel, whereas the activated drug was tracked at the 650 nm red fluorescence channel. In this way, we can overcome the blind spot in the metabolism kinetics of prodrugs in a certain organ or tissue. As demonstrated, the prodrug prompts activation in all the organs, particularly in the liver after an intravenous injection, and achieves predominant accumulation and activation in tumors at 24 h post injection. Cy-S-CPT loaded in PEG-PLA nanoparticles display significantly improved therapeutic efficacy and low side effects with respect to the clinical used drug CPT-11. As a consequence, the NIR spatiotemporal bioimaging in vivo with dual fluorescence channels allows the prodrug release profile to be extracted precisely, particularly in visualizing drug-released information from complex biological systems such as mice, thereby providing a unique opportunity to take insight into the relationship between theranosis and pharmacokinetics.

A dual-mode turn-on fluorescent BODIPY-based probe for visualization of mercury ions in living cells

A novel turn-on fluorescent 8-amino BODIPY-based probe carrying a thiourea unit as the mercury ion recognition unit has been developed. Due to the cascade reaction processes, consecutive color changes reflecting the electronic absorption and emission responses were observed upon addition of increased concentrations of mercury(ii) ions. The likely sensing mechanism was proposed as mercury ion-promoted cyclization and subsequent hydrolysis. The probe displayed a selective response to mercury ions over other metal ions. Additionally, experiments with living Human Hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells to visualize intracellular mercury ions in biological systems were carried out with the probe.

A Method for the Highly Selective, Colorimetric and Ratiometric Detection of Hg(2+) in a 100% Aqueous Solution

Mercury (Hg) and its derivatives pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. Thus, the development of methods for the selective and sensitive determination of Hg(2+) is very important to understand its distribution, and to implement more detailed toxicological studies. Herein, we developed a new method for the detection of Hg(2+) based on the tricyanoethylene derivative and mercaptoethanol. This method could selectively detect Hg(2+) in a 100% aqueous solution by the naked-eye within the range of 1 - 60 μM. Importantly, this method also could detect Hg(2+) quantitatively by ratiometic absorption spectroscopy in the range of 0.1 - 6 μM with a detection limit of 55 nM. We anticipate that this proposed method will be used widely to monitor Hg(2+) in the environment.

Molecular engineering of a dual emission near-infrared ratiometric fluorophore for the detection of pH at the organism level

A near-infrared ratiometric fluorophore (NIR-HBT) was rationally designed and constructed by expanding both the excitation and emission wavelength of the classical ratiometric fluorophore 2-(benzothiazol-2-yl)phenol (HBT) into the near-infrared region. The NIR-HBT was easily synthesized by incorporating the HBT module into the hemicyanine skeleton and showed evident NIR ratiometric fluorophore characteristics. Further application of the new fluorophore for pH detection demonstrated that NIR-HBT possesses superior overall analytical performance and NIR-HBT was successfully applied for detection of acidosis caused by inflammation in living animal tissue, which indicated the potential application value of NIR-HBT in biological imaging and sensing.

Design of NIR Chromenylium-Cyanine Fluorophore Library for "Switch-ON" and Ratiometric Detection of Bio-Active Species In Vivo

The real-time monitoring of key biospecies in the living systems has received thrusting attention during the past decades. Specifically, fluorescent detection based on near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes is highly favorable for live cells, live tissues, and even animal imaging, owing to the substantial merits of the NIR window, such as minimal phototoxicity, deep penetration into tissues, and low autofluorescence background. Nevertheless, developing potent NIR fluorescent probes still poses serious challenges to the chemists because traditional NIR fluorophores are less tunable than visible-wavelength fluorophores. To address this issue, here we report a set of novel NIR hybrid fluorophores, namely, the hybrid chromenylium-cyanine fluorophore (CC-Fluor), in which both the fluorescence intensity and the emission wavelength can be easily adjusted by the conformational changes and substitution groups. Compared to known NIR fluorophores, the new CC-Fluors are substantially advantageous for NIR probe development: (1) CC-Fluors display tunable and moderate Stokes shifts and quantum yields; (2) the fluorophores are stable at physiological conditions after long-term incubation; (3) the absorption maxima of CC-Fluors coincide with the common laser spectral lines in mainstream in vivo imaging systems; (4) most importantly, CC-Fluors can be easily modified to prepare NIR probes targeting various biospecies. To fully demonstrate the practical utility of CC-Fluors, we report two innovative NIR probes, a ratiometric pH probe and a turn-on Hg(2+) probe, both are successfully employed in live animal imaging. Hence, the detailed studies allow us to confirm that CC-Fluors can work as an excellent platform for developing NIR probes for the detection of species in living systems.

Thiazole derivative-modified upconversion nanoparticles for Hg(2+) detection in living cells

Mercury ion (Hg(2+)) is an extremely toxic ion, which will accumulate in human bodies and cause severe nervous system damage. Therefore, the sensitive and efficient monitoring of Hg(2+) in human bodies is of great importance. Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNPs) based nano probes exhibit no autofluorescence, deep penetration depth and chemical stability in biological samples, as well as a large anti-stokes shift. In this study, we have developed thiazole-derivative-functionalized UCNPs, and employed an upconversion emission intensity ratio of 540 nm to 803 nm (I540/I803) as a ratiometric signal to detect Hg(2+) in living cells showing excellent photo stability and high selectivity. Our nano probe was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The low cytotoxicity of our probe was confirmed by an MTT assay and the UCL test in HeLa cells was carried out by confocal microscopy. Our results demonstrated that organic-dye-functionalized UCNPs should be a good strategy for detecting toxic metal ions when studying cellular biosystems.

Benzothiazole based multi-analyte sensor for selective sensing of Zn2+and Cd2+and subsequent sensing of inorganic phosphates (Pi) in mixed aqueous medium

A multi-analyte sensor selectively senses Zn²⁺and Cd²⁺ions and subsequently responds to phosphates in mixed aqueous medium.

Near-infrared cyanine-based sensor for Fe3+ with high sensitivity: its intracellular imaging application in colorectal cancer cells

A cyanine-based probe with N-(2-hydroxyethyl) amide arms was designed for Fe³⁺ with a remarkable colorimetric and fluorometric response. It was successfully applied to the imaging of Fe³⁺ ions in colorectal cancer cells.

Rhodamine-modified upconversion nanoprobe for distinguishing Cu2+ from Hg2+ and live cell imaging

A new organic–inorganic hybrid nanoprobe based on luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) from mesoporous silica coated upconversion nanoparticles to a rhodamine B derivative was prepared for distinguishing Cu²⁺ from Hg²⁺ and live cell imaging applications.

Pyrano[3,2-c]julolidin-2-ones: a novel class of fluorescent probes for ratiometric detection and imaging of Hg2+ in live cancer cells

A novel pyrano[3,2-c]julolidin-2-one based fluorescent molecular rotor PYJO4 has been designed and developed for selective ratiometric detection, quantification and imaging of intracellular Hg²⁺ in live cells.

N-(3-Imidazolyl)propyl dansylamide as a selective Hg(2+) sensor in aqueous media through electron transfer

N-Imidazolylpropyl dansylamide 1 was synthesized for the sensing of metal ions and found to be selective and sensitive toward Hg(2+) ions in a PBS-EtOH (1:4, pH=7.4) solution. The sensing ability of probe 1 was examined by UV-Vis, fluorescence, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The sensing of Hg(2+) exhibited a quenching of emission band at λmax=515 nm of probe 1, which was associated with quenching of green fluorescence emission under 365 nm illumination. Probe 1 showed a good association constant with Hg(2+) (Ka=6.48×10(4) M(-1)) with a stoichiometry of 1:1 in PBS-EtOH (1:4, pH=7.4) having the lowest detection limit of 1 μM for Hg(2+); on the other hand, probe 2, which has no imidazole moiety, was not able to detect any metal ion. In the case of probe 1, electrons on the imidazole nitrogen are available for electron transfer (ET), which was responsible for its green emission band that was quenched on addition of Hg(2+); this clearly indicates that these electrons were used for the formation of a coordinate bond with Hg(2+) and that ET was switched off.

Cyanine polyene reactivity: scope and biomedical applications

Cyanines are indispensable fluorophores that form the chemical basis of many fluorescence-based applications. A feature that distinguishes cyanines from other common fluorophores is an exposed polyene linker that is both crucial to absorption and emission and subject to covalent reactions that dramatically alter these optical properties. Over the past decade, reactions involving the cyanine polyene have been used as foundational elements for a range of biomedical techniques. These include the optical sensing of biological analytes, super-resolution imaging, and near-IR light-initiated uncaging. This review surveys the chemical reactivity of the cyanine polyene and the biomedical methods enabled by these reactions. The overarching goal is to highlight the multifaceted nature of cyanine chemistry and biology, as well as to point out the key role of reactivity-based insights in this promising area.