A turn-on bis-BODIPY chemosensor for copper recognition based on the in situ generation of a benzimidazole–triazole receptor and its applications in bioimaging

A bis-BODIPY-based fluorescent probe (BODIPY-NN) is developed for Cu2+ detection in aqueous solutions and living cells. The sensing mechanism is based on the in situ generation of a benzimidazole–triazole receptor induced by Cu2+ ions.

Radioactive Main Group and Rare Earth Metals for Imaging and Therapy

Radiometals possess an exceptional breadth of decay properties and have been applied to medicine with great success for several decades. The majority of current clinical use involves diagnostic procedures, which use either positron-emission tomography (PET) or single-photon imaging to detect anatomic abnormalities that are difficult to visualize using conventional imaging techniques (e.g., MRI and X-ray). The potential of therapeutic radiometals has more recently been realized and relies on ionizing radiation to induce irreversible DNA damage, resulting in cell death. In both cases, radiopharmaceutical development has been largely geared toward the field of oncology; thus, selective tumor targeting is often essential for efficacious drug use. To this end, the rational design of four-component radiopharmaceuticals has become popularized. This Review introduces fundamental concepts of drug design and applications, with particular emphasis on bifunctional chelators (BFCs), which ensure secure consolidation of the radiometal and targeting vector and are integral for optimal drug performance. Also presented are detailed accounts of production, chelation chemistry, and biological use of selected main group and rare earth radiometals.

Optoelectronic performance comparison of new thiophene linked benzimidazole conjugates with diverse substitution patterns

In an approach to develop efficient organic optoelectronic devices to be used in light-driven systems, a series of three thiophene linked benzimidazole conjugates were synthesized and characterized. The combination of two thiophene rings to a benzimidazole core decorated with different functional groups (such as OCH₃, N(CH₃)₂, CF₃) resulted in donor-acceptor type molecular scaffold. The effect of the electronic behavior of the substituents on the optical, electrochemical, morphological and electron/hole transporting properties of the dyes were systematically investigated. DTBI2 dye exhibited distinct absorption properties among the other studied dyes because N,N-dimethylamino group initiated intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process in the studied solvents. In solid state, the dyes exhibit peaks extending up to 600nm. Depending on the solvent polarities, dyes show significant wavelength changes on their fluorescence emission spectra in the excited states. Morphological parameters of the thin films spin-coated from CHCl₃ solution were investigated by using AFM instrument; furthermore photovoltaic responses are reported, even though photovoltaic performances of the fabricated solar cells with different configurations are quite low.

Matching chelators to radiometals for radiopharmaceuticals

Radiometals comprise many useful radioactive isotopes of various metallic elements. When properly harnessed, these have valuable emission properties that can be used for diagnostic imaging techniques, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT, e.g.(67)Ga, (99m)Tc, (111)In, (177)Lu) and positron emission tomography (PET, e.g.(68)Ga, (64)Cu, (44)Sc, (86)Y, (89)Zr), as well as therapeutic applications (e.g.(47)Sc, (114m)In, (177)Lu, (90)Y, (212/213)Bi, (212)Pb, (225)Ac, (186/188)Re). A fundamental critical component of a radiometal-based radiopharmaceutical is the chelator, the ligand system that binds the radiometal ion in a tight stable coordination complex so that it can be properly directed to a desirable molecular target in vivo. This article is a guide for selecting the optimal match between chelator and radiometal for use in these systems. The article briefly introduces a selection of relevant and high impact radiometals, and their potential utility to the fields of radiochemistry, nuclear medicine, and molecular imaging. A description of radiometal-based radiopharmaceuticals is provided, and several key design considerations are discussed. The experimental methods by which chelators are assessed for their suitability with a variety of radiometal ions is explained, and a large selection of the most common and most promising chelators are evaluated and discussed for their potential use with a variety of radiometals. Comprehensive tables have been assembled to provide a convenient and accessible overview of the field of radiometal chelating agents.