Metal complexes as fluorescent probes for sensing biologically relevant gas molecules

Construction of a pH- and viscosity-switchable near-infrared fluorescent probe and its imaging application

Viscosity is a parameter used to measure the fluidity of liquids and a key indicator in evaluating the states of body fluid in biological tissues and lesions. Most traditional detection methods have many drawbacks such as a short emission wavelength and interference by background fluorescence. Inspired by the multiple double bond structure of retinal, a novel pH and viscosity dual-response fluorescent probe (Rh-TR) was constructed in this study. Rh-TR exhibited two emission signals centered at 510 and 660 nm. As the pH of the phosphate-buffered saline increased, the fluorescence at 510 nm increased by about 124-fold, while the change in fluorescence at 660 nm was not obvious. When detecting the change in viscosity using the probe, the fluorescence at 510 nm decreased by about 85 %, while the fluorescence at 660 nm increased by over 20-fold. The probe also showed high selectivity and little toxicity. As demonstrated by the biological imaging experiment, the probe successfully imaged changes in the pH and viscosity of cells and in a live animal model of zebrafish. Considering the unique structure of Rh-TR with retinal and its pH- and viscosity-switchable spectral property, the probe may find further application in detecting viscosity-related diseases and industrial detection.

Near-infrared Rhodols-based fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift for tracking of H2S in food spoilage and living cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as a biomarker signaling gas, is not only susceptible to food spoilage, but also plays a key function in many biological processes. In this work, an activated near infrared (NIR) H2S fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized with quinoline-conjugated Rhodols dye as fluorophore skeleton and a dinitrophenyl group as the responsive moiety. Due to the quenching effect of dinitrophenyl group and the closed-loop structure of Rhodols fluorophore, probe itself has a very weak absorption and fluorescence background signal. After the H2S-induced thiolysis reaction, the probe exhibits a remarkable colormetric change and NIR fluorescent enhancement response at 716 nm with large Stokes shift (116 nm), and possesses high sensing selectivity and sensitivity with a low detection limits of 330 nM. The response mechanism is systematically characterized by 1H NMR, MS and DFT calculations. The colorimetric change allows the probe to be used as a test strips to detect H2S in food spoilage, while NIR fluorescent response helps the probe monitor intracellular H2S.

A ratiometric fluorescence and colorimetry dual-signal sensing strategy based on o-phenylenediamine and AuNCs for determination of Cu2+ and glyphosate

A ratiometric fluorescence sensing strategy has been developed for the determination of Cu2+ and glyphosate with high sensitivity and specificity based on OPD (o-phenylenediamine) and glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs). Water-soluble 1.75-nm size GSH-AuNCs with strong red fluorescence and maximum emission wavelength at 682 nm were synthesized using GSH as the template. OPD was oxidized by Cu2+, which produced the bright yellow fluorescence oxidation product 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) with a maximum fluorescence emission peak at 570 nm. When glyphosate existed in the system, the chelation between glyphosate and Cu2+ hindered the formation of DAP and reduced the fluorescence intensity of the system at the wavelength of 570 nm. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity at the wavelength of 682 nm remained basically stable. It exhibited a good linear relationship towards Cu2+ and glyphosate in water in the range 1.0-10 µM and 0.050-3.0 µg/mL with a detection limit of 0.547 µM and 0.0028 µg/mL, respectively. The method was also used for the semi-quantitative determination of Cu2+ and glyphosate in water by fluorescence color changes visually detected by the naked eyes in the range 1.0-10 µM and 0.30-3.0 µg/mL, respectively. The sensing strategy showed higher sensitivity, more obvious color changes, and better disturbance performance, satisfying with the detection demands of Cu2+ and glyphosate in environmental water samples. The study provides a reliable detection strategy in the environment safety fields.

Red-shifted activity-based sensors for ethylene via direct conjugation of fluorophore to metal-carbene

A number of Activity-Based Sensors (ABS) for relatively unreactive small molecules, such as ethylene, necessitates a transition metal for reaction under ambient conditions. Olefin metathesis has emerged as one of the primary strategies to achieve ethylene detection, and other transition metals are used for similarly challenging-to-detect analytes. However, limited studies exist investigating how fluorophore-metal attachment impacts photophysical properties of such ABS. Two new probes were prepared with the chelating benzlidene Ru-ligand directly conjugated to a BODIPY fluorophore and the photophysical properties of the new conjugated ABS were evaluated.

Advances and Opportunities in H2S Measurement in Chemical Biology

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important biological mediator across all kingdoms of life and plays intertwined roles in various disciplines, ranging from geochemical cycles to industrial processes. A common need across these broad disciplines is the ability to detect and measure H2S in complex sample environments. This Perspective focuses on key advances and opportunities for H2S detection and quantification that are relevant to chemical biology. Specifically, we focus on methods for H2S detection and quantification most commonly used in biological samples, including activity-based H2S probes, the methylene blue assay, the monobromobimane assay, and H2S-sensitive electrode measurements. Our goal is to help simplify what at first may seem to be an overwhelming array of detection and measurement choices, to articulate the strengths and limitations of individual techniques, and to highlight key unmet needs and opportunities in the field.

Detection of Ethylene with Defined Metal Complexes: Strategies and Recent Advances

Despite its relative simplicity, ethylene is an interesting molecule with wide-ranging impact in modern chemistry and biology. Stemming from ethylene's role as a critical plant hormone, there has been significant effort to develop selective and sensitive molecular sensors for ethylene. Late transition metal complexes have played an important role in detection strategies due to ethylene's lack of structural complexity and limited reactivity. Two main approaches to ethylene detection are identified: (1) coordination-based sensors, wherein ethylene binds reversibly to a metal center, and (2) activity-based sensors, wherein ethylene undergoes a reaction at a metal center, resulting in the formation and destruction of covalent bonds. Herein, we describe the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, and the challenges remaining for sensor development.

Salen, salan and salalen zinc(II) complexes in the interaction with HS-: time-resolved fluorescence applications

In the current work we investigate the route of interaction of a newly synthesized family of zinc complexes with HS^- by a plethora of different spectroscopic techniques. A computational analysis on the time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) level explored the overall fluorescence properties of the title complexes and their different fluorescence responses to HS^-. Time-resolved fluorescence experiments were also performed and highlight the great potential of the current systems to be implemented as HS^- fluorescent sensors.

A Review for In Vitro and In Vivo Detection and Imaging of Gaseous Signal Molecule Carbon Monoxide by Fluorescent Probes

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a vital endogenous gaseous transmitter molecule involved in the regulation of various physiological and pathological processes in living biosystems. In order to investigate the biological function of CO, many technologies have been developed to monitor the level of endogenous CO in biosystems. Among them, the fluorescence detection technology based on the fluorescent probe has the advantages of high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, simple operation, especially non-invasive damage to biological samples, and the possibility of real-time in situ detection, etc., which is considered to be one of the most effective and applicable detection techniques. Therefore, in the last few years, a lot of work has been carried out on the design, synthesis and in vivo fluorescence imaging studies of CO fluorescent probes. Furthermore, using fluorescent probes to detect the changes in CO concentrations in living cells and tissues as well as in organisms has been one of the hot research topics in recent years. However, it is still a challenge to rationally design CO fluorescent probe with excellent optical performance, structural stability, low background interference, good biocompatibility, and excellent water solubility. Therefore, this review focuses on the research progress of CO fluorescent probes in the detection mechanism and biological applications in recent years. However, this popular and leading topic has rarely been summarized comprehensively to date. Thus, the research progress of CO fluorescent probes in recent years is reviewed in terms of their design concept, detection mechanism, and their biological applications. In addition, the relationship between the structure and performance of the probes was also discussed. More significantly, we hope that more excellent optical properties fluorescent probes for gaseous transmitter molecule CO detection and imaging will overcome the current problems of high biotoxicity and limited water solubility in future.

Paper-Strip-Based Sensors for H2S Detection: A Proof-of-Principle Study

In this work, the authors explored the interaction of a suite of fluorescent zinc complexes with H₂S. The authors provide evidence that HS⁻ binds the zinc center of all the complexes under investigation, allowing them to possibly function as sensors by a ‘coordinative-based’ approach. Naked-eye color changes occur when treating the systems with HS⁻, so the fluorescence responses are modulated by the presence of HS⁻, which has been related to a change in the energy level and coupling of excited states through a computational study. The results show the potential of the systems to function as HS⁻/H₂S colorimetric and fluorescent sensors. Paper-strip-based sensing experiments foresee the potential of using this family of complexes as chemosensors of HS⁻ in more complex biological fluids.

Comparative Study of Nitro and Azide Functionalized Zn(II) based Coordination Polymers as Fluorescent Turn-on Probes for Rapid and Selective Detection of H2S in Living Cells

Selective Detection of H 2 S in cellular system using fluorescent CPs/MOFs is of great scientific interest due to their outstanding aqueous stability, biocompatibility and real-time detection ability.  Fabrication of such materials using complete biologically essential elements and applying them as an efficient biosensors is still quite challenging.  In this context, we present two newly synthesized CPs containing biologically essential metal ion (Zn) and nitro/azido functional group on the framework to sense extracellular and intracellular H 2 S by reducing into respective amines.  The CP- 1 containing the azide group acted as an efficient fluorencent turn-on probe with lowest detection limit (7.2 µM) and shortest response time (30 sec) among the Zn-based probes reported till date.  Moreover, CP-1 exhibited green luminescence in live cells after imaging very low concentration of H 2 S, while the nitro analogue, CP-2, couldn't detect the target analyte due to it's framework disruption.

A highly selective fluorescence and absorption sensor for rapid recognition and detection of Cu2+ ion in aqueous solution and film

A fluorescence and absorption chemosensor (SAAT) based on 5-(hydroxymethyl)-salicylaldehyde (SA) and o-aminothiophenol (AT) was designed and synthesized. SAAT in DMSO-HEPES (20.0 mM, v/v, 1:99, pH=7.0) solution shows a highly selective and sensitive absorption and "on-off" fluorescence response to Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous solutions over all other competitive metal ions including Na⁺ , Ag⁺ , Ba²⁺ , Ca²⁺ , Cd²⁺ , Mg²⁺ , Zn²⁺ , Cr³⁺ , Al³⁺ , Hg²⁺ , K⁺ , Mn²⁺ , Ni²⁺ , Sr²⁺ , Tb³⁺ and Co²⁺ . SAAT exhibits ratiometric absorption sensing ability for Cu²⁺ ions. Importantly, SAAT also can sense Cu²⁺ ions by fluorescence quenching, the fluorescence intensity of SAAT showed a good linear relationship with Cu²⁺ concentration, and the detection limit of Cu²⁺ was 0.34 μM. The results of Job's plot, Benesi-Hildebrand plot, mass spectra, and DFT calculations confirmed that the selective absorption and fluorescence response were attributed to the formation of 1:1 complex between SAAT and Cu²⁺ . SAAT in test film can identify Cu²⁺ in water samples by the intuitive fluorescence color change under UV lamp. SAAT has great application value as a selective and sensitive chemosensor to discrimination and detection of Cu²⁺ ions.

Imidazo-pyridine-based zinc(II) complexes as fluorescent hydrogen sulfide probes

In this work we explore the interaction of HS^- with a family of fluorescent zinc complexes. In particular we selected a family of complexes with N,O-bidentate ligands aiming at assessing whether the zinc-chelating ligand plays a role in influencing the reactivity of HS^- with the complexes under investigation. Different experiments, performed by diverse spectroscopic techniques, provide evidence that HS^- binds the zinc center of all the complexes included in this study. The results highlight the potential of the devised systems to be used as HS^-/H₂S fluorescent sensors via a coordinative-based approach. To shed light on the species formed in solution when HS^-/H₂S interacts with the title complexes and aiming to rationalize the photophysical properties of the sensing constructs, we performed a computational analysis based on the time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). Preliminary bio-imaging experiments were also performed and the results indicate the potential of this class of compounds as probes for the detection of H₂S in living cells.

Recent development and application of cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes as chemical and biological probes

Iridium complexes have been widely applied as molecular sensors because of their rich photophysical properties, including large Stokes shifts, long emission lifetimes, environment-sensitive emissions, and high luminescence quantum yields. In this paper, we review the recent development and application of iridium complexes as probes for ions, anions, gaseous species, organic molecules, small biomolecules, biomacromolecules, and subcellular organelles. Our outlook for iridium-based probes is also discussed.

The role of nitric oxide in ocular surface physiology and pathophysiology

Nitric oxide (NO) has a wide array of biological functions including the regulation of vascular tone, neurotransmission, immunomodulation, stimulation of proinflammatory cytokine expression and antimicrobial action. These functions may depend on the type of isoform that is responsible for the synthesis of NO. NO is found in various ocular tissues playing a pivotal role in physiological mechanisms, namely regulating vascular tone in the uvea, retinal blood circulation, aqueous humor dynamics, neurotransmission and phototransduction in retinal layers. Unregulated production of NO in ocular tissues may result in production of toxic superoxide free radicals that participate in ocular diseases such as endotoxin-induced uveitis, ischemic proliferative retinopathy and neurotoxicity of optic nerve head in glaucoma. However, the role of NO on the ocular surface in mediating physiology and pathophysiological processes is not fully understood. Moreover, methods used to measure levels of NO in the biological samples of the ocular surface are not well established due to its rapid oxidation. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role of NO in the physiology and pathophysiology of ocular surface and propose suitable techniques to measure NO levels in ocular surface tissues and tears. This will improve the understanding of NO's role in ocular surface biology and the development of new NO-based therapies to treat various ocular surface diseases. Further, this review summarizes the biochemistry underpinning NO's antimicrobial action.

Luminescence properties of [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)]+ complexes: relations between DFT computation results and emission band-shape analysis data

Luminescence properties of two series of [Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ complexes bearing deprotonated 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole or 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1H-pyrazole as cyclometalating C^N ligands and different α-diimines (2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline and their derivatives) as ancillary N^N ligands have been studied in acetonitrile solutions at room temperature and in 77 K methanol/ethanol (1 : 1) matrices. Ligand and temperature induced changes in the nature of the emissive ³*[Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ species result in well-pronounced changes in their emission properties like emission wavelength, emission quantum yields and emission lifetimes. Depending on the nature of the coordinated C^N and N^N ligands and/or the measurement temperature, the investigated luminophores exhibit emissions arising from the intraligand transitions localized within the N^N ligand or from the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions involving the Ir(C^N)₂⁺ and N^N moieties as confirmed by means of the DFT computations. The computed DFT energies of the excited ³*[Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ states and outer/inner reorganization energies associated with the S₀ ← ³*[Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ transitions remain in nice agreement with those available from the performed emission band-shape analyses. The observed agreement implies ordinary DFT computations at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ/6-31G(d,p) level of theory, even performed neglecting the spin–orbit phenomena, as enough accurate in the quantitative prediction of the most important parameters characterizing the investigated [Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ luminophores.

For two series of [Ir(C^N)₂(N^N)]⁺ luminophores, the computed DFT quantities remain in nice agreement with those available from the emission band-shape analyses.

Salen-type aluminum and zinc complexes as two-faced Janus compounds: contribution to molecular sensing and polymerization catalysis

The aim of the present review is to highlight the most recent achievements in different fields of application of salen-based zinc and aluminum complexes. More specifically this article focuses on the use of aluminum and zinc salen-type complexes as optical probes for biologically relevant molecules, as catalysts for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters and co-polymerization of epoxides and anhydrides (ROCOP) and in the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO2). The intention is to provide an overview of the most recent results from our group within the framework of the state-of-art-results in the literature.

Sensing and Bioimaging of the Gaseous Signaling Molecule Hydrogen Sulfide by Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probes

A fluorescent probe for the monitoring of H₂S levels in living cells and organisms is highly desirable. In this regard, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes have emerged as a promising tool. NIR-I and NIR-II probes have many significant advantages; for instance, NIR light penetrates deeper into tissue than light at visible wavelengths, and it causes less photodamage during biosample analysis and less autofluorescence, enabling higher signal-to-background ratios. Therefore, it is expected that fluorescent probes having emission in the NIR region are more suitable for in vivo imaging. Consequently, a considerable increase in reports of new H₂S-responsive NIR fluorescent probes appeared in the literature. This review highlights the advances made in developing new NIR fluorescent probes aimed at the sensitive and selective detection of H₂S in biological samples. Their applications in real-time monitoring of H₂S in cells and in vivo for bioimaging of living cells/animals are emphasized. The selection of suitable dyes for designing NIR fluorescent probes, along with the principles and mechanisms involved for the sensing of H₂S in the NIR region, are described. The discussions are focused on small-molecule and nanomaterials-based NIR probes.

A natural cyanobacterial protein C-phycoerythrin as an HS- selective optical probe in aqueous systems

A naturally fluorescent cyanobacterial protein C-phycoerythrin (CPE) was investigated as a fluorescent probe for biologically and environmentally important hydrosulphide (HS^-) ion. It was selective for HS amongst a large anion screen and the optical response was rapid. Sequential UV-visible titration showed considerable peak shift and attenuation with increasing [HS^-] while fluorescence titration proved that HS^- quenched CPE fluorescence in a concentration dependent manner. The linear response range was 0-2 mM HS^- while the Stern Volmer curve was non-linear and the limit of detection was 185.12 μM. Except bicarbonate and glycine, no anion or biomolecule interfered with the detection even at 10 times the concentration of HS^-. It was also free of influences from other sulphur forms like sulphite, sulphate and thiosulphate. CPE reliably detected HS^- in freshwater and effluent samples, though some under- and over - estimation was evident. The % recovery ranged from ~96 to 105% (RSD ~ 0.035-0.188%). FTIR analysis showed significant changes in the amide I and II regions of CPE, along with minor modifications in the amide III region as well, showing that HS^- was able to influence the protein secondary structure at higher concentrations.

Study on the photochromism, photochromic fluorescence switch, fluorescent and colorimetric sensing for Cu2+ of naphthopyran-diaminomaleonitrile dyad and recognition Cu2+ in living cells

A well-designed naphthopyran-diaminomaleonitrile dyad (sensor 1) has been synthesized successfully, its molecular structure was well characterized by NMR and mass spectrometry. Sensor 1 exhibits excellent photochromic and photochromic fluorescence switch performance with reversible color change and good fatigue resistance upon alternating ultraviolet irradiation and thermal bleaching. In addition, sensor 1 displayed excellent fluorescent and colorimetric sensing ability towards Cu²⁺ ions with high selectivity and sensitivity. The addition of 5.0 equiv. of Cu²⁺ ions into sensor 1 (1 × 10^-5) in CH₃CN solution significantly quenched the fluorescence of sensor 1 by 80.0%. Furthermore, the addition of Cu²⁺ ions also caused the complete disappearance of the absorbance band at 350-450 nm in absorbance spectra of sensor 1 and accompanied by the distinct color change form yellow to colorless. Job's plot, mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR titration and DFT calculations proved that sensing performance was attributed to the formation of 1:1 sensor 1-Cu²⁺complexes. Sensor 1 can monitor the existence of Cu²⁺ ions in living cells via the fluorescence images. Sensor 1 showed great potential applications as chemosensor and photochromic materials.

Small-molecule fluorescent probes for imaging gaseous signaling molecules: current progress and future implications

Endogenous gaseous signaling molecules including nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have been demonstrated to perform significant physiological and pharmacological functions and are associated with various diseases in biological systems. In order to obtain a deeper insight into their roles and mechanisms of action, it is desirable to develop novel techniques for effectively detecting gaseous signaling molecules. Small-molecule fluorescent probes have been proven to be a powerful approach for the detection and imaging of biological messengers by virtue of their non-invasiveness, high selectivity, and real-time in situ detection capability. Based on the intrinsic properties of gaseous signaling molecules, numerous fluorescent probes have been constructed to satisfy various demands. In this perspective, we summarize the recent advances in the field of fluorescent probes for the detection of NO, CO and H2S and illustrate the design strategies and application examples of these probes. Moreover, we also emphasize the challenges and development directions of gasotransmitter-responsive fluorescent probes, hoping to provide a general implication for future research.

2-Amino-3'-dialkylaminobiphenyl-based fluorescent intracellular probes for nitric oxide surrogate N2O3

Fluorescent probes for nitric oxide (NO), or more frequently for its oxidized surrogate dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3), have enabled scientists to study the contributions of this signaling molecule to many physiological processes. Seeking to improve upon limitations of other probes, we have developed a family of fluorescent probes based on a 2-amino-3'-dialkylaminobiphenyl core. This core condenses with N2O3 to form benzo[c]cinnoline structures, incorporating the analyte into the newly formed fluorophore, which results in product fluorescence with virtually no background contribution from the initial probe. We varied the substituents in the core in order to optimize both the reactivity of the probes with N2O3 and their cinnoline products' fluorescence wavelengths and brightness. The top candidates were then applied to cultured cells to verify that they could respond to NO within cellular milieus, and the top performer, NO530, was compared with a "gold standard" commercial probe, DAF-FM, in a macrophage-derived cell line, RAW 264.7, stimulated to produce NO. NO530 demonstrated similar or better sensitivity and higher selectivity for NO than DAF, making it an attractive potential alternative for NO tracking in various applications.

Copper(II), Zinc(II), and Cadmium(II) Formylbenzoate Complexes: Reactivity and Emission Properties

Synthesis, characterization, reactivity, and sensing properties of 4-formylbenzoate complexes of copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) possessing the 1,10-phenanthroline ancillary ligand are studied. The crystal structures of the (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)(aqua)copper(II) and (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzo-ate)zinc(II) and a novel molecular complex comprising an assembly of mononuclear and dinuclear species of (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)cadmium(II) are reported. These zinc and cadmium complexes are fluorescent; they show differentiable sensitivity to detect three positional isomers of nitroaniline. The mechanism of sensing of nitroanilines by 1,10-phenanthroline and the complexes are studied by fluorescence titrations, photoluminescence decay, and dynamic light scattering. A plausible mechanism showing that 1,10-phenanthroline ligand-based emission quenched by electron transfer from the excited state of 1,10-phenanthroline to nitroaniline is supported by density functional theory calculations. In an anticipation to generate a fluorescent d¹⁰-copper(I) formylbenzoate complex by a mild reducing agent such as hydroxylamine hydrochloride for similar sensing of nitroaromatics as that of the d¹⁰-zinc and cadmium 4-formylbenzoate complexes, reactivity of d⁹-copper(II) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of 4-formylbenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline is studied. It did not provide the expected copper(I) complex but resulted in stoichiometry-dependent reactions of 4-formylbenzoic acid with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of copper(II) acetate and 1,10-phenanthroline. Depending on the stoichiometry of reactants, an inclusion complex of bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) chloride with in situ-formed 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid or copper(II) 4-(hydroxycarbamoyl)benzoate complex was formed. The self-assembly of the inclusion complex has the bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) cation encapsulated in hydrogen-bonded chloride-hydrate assembly with 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid.

Inorganic Chemistry Approaches to Activity-Based Sensing: From Metal Sensors to Bioorthogonal Metal Chemistry

The complex network of chemical processes that sustain life motivates the development of new synthetic tools to decipher biological mechanisms of action at a molecular level. In this context, fluorescent and related optical probes have emerged as useful chemical reagents for monitoring small-molecule and metal signals in biological systems, enabling visualization of dynamic cellular events with spatial and temporal resolution. In particular, metals occupy a central role in this field as analytes in their own right, while also being leveraged for their unique biocompatible reactivity with small-molecule substrates. This Viewpoint highlights the use of inorganic chemistry principles to develop activity-based sensing platforms mediated by metal reactivity, spanning indicators for metal detection to metal-based reagents for bioorthogonal tracking, and manipulation of small and large biomolecules, illustrating the privileged roles of metals at the interface of chemistry and biology.

Activity-Based Sensing Methods for Monitoring the Reactive Carbon Species Carbon Monoxide and Formaldehyde in Living Systems

Carbon is central to the chemistry of life, and in addition to its fundamental roles as a static component of all major biomolecules spanning proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, and lipids, emerging evidence shows that small and transient carbon-based metabolites, termed reactive carbon species (RCS), are dynamic signaling/stress agents that can influence a variety of biological pathways. Recent examples include the identification of carbon monoxide (CO) as an ion channel blocker and endogenous formaldehyde (FA) as a one-carbon metabolic unit formed from the spontaneous degradation of dietary folate metabolites. These findings motivate the development of analytical tools for transient carbon species that can achieve high specificity and sensitivity to further investigate RCS signaling and stress pathways at the cell, tissue, and whole-organism levels. This Account summarizes work from our laboratory on the development of new chemical tools to monitor two important one-carbon RCS, CO and FA, through activity-based sensing (ABS), where we leverage the unique chemical reactivities of these small and transient analytes, rather than lock-and-key binding considerations, for selective detection. Classic inorganic/organometallic and organic transformations form the basis for this approach. For example, to distinguish CO from other biological diatomics of similar shape and size (e.g., nitric oxide and oxygen), we exploit palladium-mediated carbonylation as a synthetic method for CO sensing. The high selectivity of this carbonylation approach successfully enables imaging of dynamic changes in intracellular CO levels in live cells. Likewise, we apply the aza-Cope reaction for FA detection to provide high selectivity for this one-carbon unit over other larger biological aldehydes that are reactive electrophiles, such as acetaldehyde and methylglyoxal. By relying on an activity-based trigger as a design principle for small-molecule detection, this approach can be generalized to create a toolbox of selective FA imaging reagents, as illustrated by a broad range of FA probes spanning turn-on and ratiometric fluorescence imaging, positron emission tomography imaging, and chemiluminescence imaging modalities. Moreover, these chemical tools have revealed new one-carbon biology through the identification of folate as a dietary source of FA and alcohol dehydrogenase 5 as a target for FA metabolism. Indeed, these selective RCS detection methods have been expanded to a wider array of imaging platforms, such as metal-complex-based time-gated luminescence and materials-based imaging scaffolds (e.g., nanotubes, nanoparticles, and carbon dots), with modalities extending to Raman and Rayleigh scattering readouts. This pursuit of leveraging selective chemical reactivity to develop highly specific ABS probes for imaging of RCS provides not only practical tools for deciphering RCS-dependent biology but also a general design platform for developing ABS probes for a broader range of biological analytes encompassing elements across the periodic table.

Development of a "Turn-on" Fluorescent Probe-Based Sensing System for Hydrogen Sulfide in Liquid and Gas Phase

A “turn-on” fluorescence sensing system based on a BODIPY-cobaloxime complex for the detection of H₂S in liquid and gas phase was developed. To that aim, two cobaloxime complexes bearing an axial pyridyl-BODIPY ligand were initially evaluated as sensitive fluorescent HS⁻ indicators in aqueous solution. The sensing mechanism involves the selective substitution of the BODIPY ligand by the HS⁻ anion at the cobalt center, which is accompanied by a strong fluorescence enhancement. The selection of a complex with an ideal stability and reactivity profile toward HS⁻ relied on the optimal interaction between the cobalt metal-center and two different pyridyl BODIPY ligands. Loading the best performing BODIPY-cobaloxime complex onto a polymeric hydrogel membrane allowed us to study the selectivity of the probe for HS⁻ against different anions and cysteine. Successful detection of H₂S by the fluorescent “light-up” membrane was not only accomplished for surface water but could also be demonstrated for relevant H₂S concentrations in gas phase.

Perylenequinone-based "turn on" fluorescent probe for hydrogen sulfide with high sensitivity in living cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a kind of gaseous signal molecule in many physiological processes. In order to detect H₂S, a novel "turn on" fluorescent probe 6,12-dihydroxyperylene-1,7-dione (DPD) was designed and synthesized. The probe DPD is fluorescence silence, while the addition of H₂S induces an obvious green fluorescence with an obvious color change from dark blue to yellow-green. The probe shows excellent selectivity, fast response (2.5min) and linear curve (0-90μM) in wide effective pH range (4-10). Competition experiments are also revealed in corresponding studies and the detection limit is 3.6μM. The response mechanism is proved to be the reduction of the probe by H₂S, which is confirmed by ¹H NMR. Furthermore, through the fluorescence turn-on signal toward H₂S in Hela cells, probe DPD was successfully applied to monitor H₂S in living Hela cells.

Instantaneous fluorescent probe for the specific detection of H2S

Novel cyanine-based fluorescent probes for the detection of H₂S were developed. The probes developed are stable under physiological conditions. The water soluble fluorescent probe 2 displayed ultrafast and specific response to H₂S displaying NIR fluorescence of 115-fold turn-on with the detection limit of 11 nM without assistance of organic solvent or surfactant. Cell imaging experiments indicated that probe 2 was cell-permeable and was able to detect H₂S sensitively in lysosomes. Moreover, our probe was able to detect H₂S intrinsically produced H₂S through enzymatic/non-enzymatic biosynthetic pathway from Cys/GSH. Moreover, we applied probe 2 to detect H₂S in living mice and demonstrated the fast metabolism of H₂S. Thus, probe 2 shows great promise as a reporter for H₂S.

A new benzimidazole-based selective and sensitive 'on-off' fluorescence chemosensor for Cu2+ ions and application in cellular bioimaging

Two new twinborn benzimidazole derivates (L and A), which bonded pyridine via the ester space on the opposite and adjacent positions of the benzene ring of benzimidazole respectively, were designed and synthesized. Compound L displayed fluorescence quenching response only towards copper(II) ions (Cu²⁺ ) in acetonitrile solution with high selectivity and sensitivity. However, compound A presented 'on-off' fluorescence response towards a wide range of metal ions to different degrees and did not have selectivity. Furthermore, compound L formed a 1:1 complex with Cu²⁺ and the binding constant between sensor L and Cu²⁺ was high at 6.02 × 10⁴  M^-1 . Job's plot, mass spectra, IR spectra, ¹ H-NMR titration and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated the formation of a 1:1 complex between L and Cu²⁺ . Chemosensor L displayed a low limit of detection (3.05 × 10^-6  M) and fast response time (15 s) to Cu²⁺ . The Stern-Volmer analysis illustrated that the fluorescence quenching agreed with the static quenching mode. In addition, the obvious difference of L within HepG2 cells in the presence and absence of Cu²⁺ indicated L had the recognition capability for Cu²⁺ in living cells.

Heteroleptic [Os(Cl)(CO)(P^P)(pbi)] complexes bearing bidentate phosphine and 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazolate ligands: impact of isomerism on their luminescence properties

Two isomeric series of osmium(ii) complexes exhibit significant differences in their luminescence properties.

Reversible Detection and Quantification of Hydrogen Sulfide by Fluorescence Using the Hemoglobin I from Lucina pectinata

A new detection system for the endogenous gaseous transmitter and environmental pollutant hydrogen sulfide is presented. It is based on the modulation of the fluorescence spectrum of a coumarin dye by the absorption spectrum of the recombinant hemoglobin I from clam Lucina pectinata upon coordination of the analyte. While we establish that the reported affinity of rHbI for H₂S has been overestimated, the association of the protein with an appropriate fluorophore allows fast, easy, and reversible detection and quantification of hydrogen sulfide in buffer as well as biological fluids such as human plasma, with a quantification limit around 200 nM at pH 7.4.