Fluorogenic click reaction

A Novel Cyanine-Based Fluorescent Dye for Targeted Mitochondrial Imaging in Neurotoxic Conditions and In Vivo Brain Studies

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key feature of neurodegenerative diseases, often preceding symptoms and influencing disease progression. However, real-time in vivo imaging of mitochondria in the brain is limited by existing dyes like MitoTrackers, which struggle with poor tissue penetration, phototoxicity, and inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This study introduces Cy5-PEG4, a novel mitochondrial-targeting dye that overcomes these limitations, enabling high-resolution, non-invasive imaging of mitochondrial dynamics. Cy5-PEG4 effectively labels mitochondria in primary neuronal cells exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 RNYIAQVD peptide, revealing dose-dependent alterations in mitochondrial function that may contribute to COVID-19-related neurodegeneration. Importantly, Cy5-PEG4 crosses the BBB without causing neuroinflammation or toxicity, making it a safe tool for in vivo brain imaging and detailed studies of mitochondrial responses. In 3D cultured cells, Cy5-PEG4 captures dynamic changes in mitochondrial distribution and morphology as cell structures mature, highlighting its potential in neurobiological research, diagnostics, and therapeutic development. These findings support Cy5-PEG4 as a powerful tool for studying disease progression, identifying early biomarkers, and evaluating therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative disorders and COVID-19.

Readily Accessible and Brightly Fluorogenic BODIPY/NBD-Tetrazines via SNAr Reactions

We describe SNAr reactions of some commercial amino-tetrazines and halo-dyes, which give efficiently quenched BODIPY/NBD-tetrazines (ΦFl < 0.01) in high yields and, importantly, with high purities affordable via simple silica gel chromatography only. The dyes exhibit large Stokes shifts, moderate environmental sensitivity, and emission enhancements (up to 193-fold) upon Tz ligation with BCN─a strained dienophile. They successfully serve as labels for HSA protein premodified with BCN, resulting in bright blue-green emission upon ligation.

Co-aggregation as A Simple Strategy for Preparing Fluorogenic Tetrazine Probes with On-Demand Fluorogen Selection

Life science has progressed with applications of fluorescent probes-fluorophores linked to functional units responding to biological events. To meet the varied demands across experiments, simple organic reactions to connect fluorophores and functional units have been developed, enabling the on-demand selection of fluorophore-functional unit combinations. However, organic synthesis requires professional equipment and skills, standing as a daunting task for life scientists. In this study, we present a simple, fast, and convenient strategy for probe preparation: co-aggregation of hydrophobic molecules. We focused on tetrazine-a difficult-to-prepare yet useful functional unit that provides effective bioorthogonal reactivity and strong fluorogenicity. Simply mixing the tetrazine molecules and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens in water, co-aggregation is induced, and the emission of AIE luminogens is quenched. Subsequent click reaction bioorthogonally turns on the emission, identifying these coaggregates as fluorogenic probes. Thanks to this bioorthogonal fluorogenicity, we established a new time-gated fluorescence bioimaging technique to distinguish overlapping emission signals, enabling multi-organelle imaging with two same-color fluorophores. Our study showcases the potential of this co-aggregation method for the on-demand preparation of fluorescent probes as well as protocols and molecular design principles in this approach, offering an effective solution to evolving needs in life science research.

Novel fluorescence approach for trace quantification of levonorgestrel in breast milk based on click reaction with benzonitrofurazan azide (NBD-AZ)

Although the great importance of oral contraceptive agents in birth control, their existence in breast milk became a cause for concern, since infant exposure to these hormones is associated with many health problems. Consequentially, developing a sensitive bioanalytical method for monitoring their concentrations in breast milk is an urgent demand to examine the safety or the risk of these compounds on infants. Levonorgestrel is one of the most common contraceptive hormones under concern. Despite the high sensitivity of the fluorometric methods, detection of Levonorgestrel by them is confined because its structure does not exhibit any fluorescence. For the first time, we proposed a promising click fluorescent probe, 4-azido-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole to react with the alkyne group of Levonorgestrel, to give a highly fluorescent triazole derivative that exhibited strong signal at wavelength of 544 nm after excitation at 470 nm. Reaction parameters impacting the fluorescence were cautiously studied and optimized. The suggested approach has been successfully applied in Levonorgestrel estimation in breast milk samples with linearity of (0.4-80 ng.ml-1) and low detection limit of 0.12 ng.ml-1without interferences from any biological components and with mean % recovery of 97.84 ± 2.73. Accuracy, sensitivity, selectivity, simplicity, and low-cost makes this approach a convincing, promising, and appealing alternative over reported analytical methods for Levonorgestrel bioanalysis in different matrices.

Facile preparation of polycyclic halogen-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles by using intramolecular Huisgen cycloaddition

When 1-(ω-azidoalkyl)-2-(2,2-dihalovinyl)arenes were heated in DMF, the intramolecular Huisgen cycloaddition of an azido group with a 1,1-dihalovinyl group afforded 5-halo-1,2,3-triazole-fused tricyclic benzo compounds. Based on the remaining bromo groups, carbon elongation by the Mizoroki-Heck or Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions, followed by an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts reaction, afforded polycyclic compounds with fused triazole rings. Thereafter, the bromo groups were converted into 2-nitrophenyl groups via the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction, which was followed by the Cadogan reaction; a fluorescent pentacyclic compound was obtained.

Luminescence and Stability of 1,4,5-Triaryl-1,2,3-Triazoles

The fluorescence, phosphorescence, and photochemical properties of di- and triaryl-substituted-1,2,3-triazoles are reported in this work. The ease of synthesis of regioisomers of substituted triazoles enables a systematic study on the correlation between regiochemistry and excited state properties, which include the solvent dependence of fluorescence, energy gap between singlet and triplet emitters, and propensity to photon-triggered transformations. The triazoles that carry electron (e)-donor and e-acceptor aryl substituents show high fluorescence quantum yields in weakly polar solvents and exhibit solvent-dependent fluorescence. The luminescence properties of these compounds in glass matrices at 77 K are characterized. The thermal and photo-stability, two parameters that are crucial to their potential utilities in optical devices, of these compounds are determined. The position of the e-donor substituent has a significant impact on the fluorescence emission energy and solvent sensitivity, singlet-triplet energy gap, and photochemical reactivity and stability. The experimental observations on the structural correlation with the photophysical and photochemical properties are explained by quantum chemical calculations. This study provides a rationale on the placement of substituent on a donor-acceptor type fluorophore to maneuver a range of photo-related properties.

Alkynylated and triazole-linked aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals: one-pot synthesis of solid-state emissive dyes with aggregation-induced enhanced emission characteristics

Alkynylated aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals are readily synthesized in mostly excellent yields by a Sonogashira reaction resulting in a substance library of more than 20 examples. Upon expansion of the reaction sequence by deprotection and concatenating of the copper-click reaction in a one-pot fashion, a library of 11 triazole-ligated aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals is readily accessible. All derivatives show pronounced solid-state emission and aggregation-induced emission properties depending on the nature of the alkynyl or the triazole substituents.

Recent advances in synthesis of sugar and nucleoside coumarin conjugates and their biological impact

Naturally occurring coumarin and sugar molecules have a diverse range of applications along with superior biocompatibility. Coumarin, a member of the benzopyrone family, exhibits a wide spectrum of medicinal properties, such as anti-coagulant, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activities. The sugar moiety functions as the central scaffold for the synthesis of complex molecules, attributing to their excellent biocompatibility, well-defined stereochemistry, benign nature and outstanding aqueous solubility. When the coumarin moiety is conjugated with the sugar or nucleoside molecule, the resulting conjugates exhibit significant biological properties. Due to the remarkable growth of such bioconjugates in the field of science over the last decade, owing to their future prospect as a potential bioactive core, an update to this area is very much needed. The present review focusses on the synthesis, characterization and the various therapeutic applications of coumarin conjugates, i.e., sugar and nucleoside coumarin conjugates along with their perspective for future research.

Fluorogenic Protein Labeling by Generation of Fluorescent Quinoliziniums Using [Cp*RhCl2]2

Fluorogenic labeling has received considerable attention as a result of the high demand in chemical biology and synthetic biology applications. Herein, we develop a new strategy for fluorescent turn-on ligation targeting alkyne- and quinoline-linked peptides and proteins (λ_em of 515 nm and up to Φ_F of 0.20) using the [Cp*RhCl₂]₂ catalyst. The good conversion, high flexibility, broad utility, ease of use, and mild reaction conditions are great advantages to extend the rhodium-mediated turn-on fluorogenic bioconjugation for further applications.

Photoactivatable Fluorogenic Azide-Alkyne Click Reaction: A Dual-Activation Fluorescent Probe

Aryl azide and diaryl tetrazole are both photoactive molecules, which can form nitrene and nitrile imine intermediates respectively by photolysis. Depending on the new finding that the azide can suppress the photolysis of tetrazole in the azide-tetrazole conjugated system, we developed aryl azide-tetrazole probes for the photoactivatable fluorogenic azide alkyne click (PFAAC) reaction, in which the aryl azide-tetrazole probes were not phoroactivatable fluorogenic itself, but the triazole products after click reaction were prefluorophore that can be activated by light. Therefore, in PFAAC chemistry, the fluorescent probes can be activated by two orthogonal events: azide-alkyne click reaction and light, which leads to spatiotemporal resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. This PFAAC process was proved in vitro by copper catalyzed or strain-promoted azide-alkyne reactions and in live cells by spatiotemporally controlled organelle imaging. By incorporation a linker to the azide-tetrazole conjugate, this PFAAC chemistry could covalently label extra probes to the biomolecules and spatiotemporally detecting this process by photoinduced fluorescence.

2-Amino-4-aryl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydropyrano[3,2-c]chromene-3-carbonitriles with Microtubule-Disruptive, Centrosome-Declustering, and Antiangiogenic Effects in vitro and in vivo

A series of fifteen 2-amino-4-aryl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydropyrano[3,2-c]chromene-3-carbonitriles (1 a-o) were synthesized via a three-component reaction of 4-hydroxycoumarin, malononitrile, and diversely substituted benzaldehydes or pyridine carbaldehydes. The compounds were tested for anticancer activities against a panel of eight human tumor cell lines. A few derivatives with high antiproliferative activities and different cancer cell specificity were identified and investigated for their modes of action. They led to microtubule disruption, centrosome de-clustering and G2/M cell cycle arrest in 518 A2 melanoma cells. They also showed anti-angiogenic effects in vitro and in vivo.

Photoclick Reaction Constructs Glutathione-Responsive Theranostic System for Anti-Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a virulent form of an infectious disease that causes a global burden due to its high infectivity and fatality rate, especially the irrepressible threats of latent infection. Constructing an efficient strategy for the prevention and control of TB is of great significance. Fortunately, we found that granulomas are endowed with higher reducibility levels possibly caused by internal inflammation and a relatively enclosed microenvironment. Therefore, we developed the first targeted glutathione- (GSH-) responsive theranostic system (RIF@Cy5.5-HA-NG) for tuberculosis with a rifampicin- (RIF-) loaded near-infrared emission carrier, which was constructed by photoclick reaction-actuated hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction, enabling the early diagnosis of tuberculosis through granulomas-tracking. Furthermore, the loaded rifampicin was released through the dissociation of disulfide bond by the localized GSH in granulomas, realizing the targeted tuberculosis therapy and providing an especially accurate treatment mapping for tuberculosis. Thus, this targeted theranostic strategy for tuberculosis exhibits the potential to realize both granulomas-tracking and anti-infection of tuberculosis.

Reductive Alkylation of Azides and Nitroarenes with Alcohols: A Selective Route to Mono- and Dialkylated Amines

Herein, we demonstrated an efficient protocol for reductive alkylation of azides/nitro compounds via a borrowing hydrogen (BH) method. By following this protocol, selective mono- and dialkylated amines were obtained under mild and solvent-free conditions. A series of control experiments and deuterium-labeling experiments were performed to understand this catalytic process. Mechanistic studies suggested that the Ir(III)-H was the active intermediate in this reaction. KIE study revealed that the breaking of the C-H bond of alcohol might be the rate-limiting step. Notably, this solvent-free strategy disclosed a high TON of around 5600. Based on kinetic studies and control experiments, a metal-ligand cooperative mechanism was proposed.

Novel Dual-Organelle-Targeting Probe (RCPP) for Simultaneous Measurement of Organellar Acidity and Alkalinity in Living Cells

Many organelles, such as lysosomes and mitochondria, maintain a pH that is different from the cytoplasmic pH. These pH differences have important functional ramifications for those organelles. Many cellular events depend upon a well-compartmentalized distribution of H⁺ ions spanning the membrane for the optimal function. Cells have developed a variety of mechanisms that enable the regulation of organelle pH. However, the measurement of organellar acidity/alkalinity in living cells has remained a challenge. Currently, most existing probes for the estimation of intracellular pH show a single -organelle targeting capacity. Such probes provide data that fails to comprehensively reveal the pathological and physiological roles and connections between mitochondria and lysosomes in different species. Mitochondrial and lysosomal functions are closely related and important for regulating cellular homeostasis. Accordingly, the design of a single fluorescent probe that can simultaneously target mitochondria and lysosomes is highly desirable, enabling a better understanding of the crosstalk between these organelles. We report the development of a novel fluorescent sensor, rhodamine-coumarin pH probe (RCPP), for detection of organellar acidity/alkalinity. RCPP simultaneously moves between mitochondrion and lysosome subcellular locations, facilitating the simultaneous monitoring of pH alterations in mitochondria and lysosomes.

Click reaction triggered turn-on fluorescence strategy for highly sensitive and selective determination of steroid hormones in food samples

The copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction has becoming noticeable in the field of analytical chemistry. Mild reaction conditions, simple operation, high efficiency, and good regioselectivity make this classical click reaction a perfect strategy for chemical derivatization. Herein, we proposed a promising click fluorescent labeling method with high selectivity for the determination of five steroid hormones in food samples. The labeling strategy depends on the reaction between 3-Azido-7-hydroxycoumarin and the alkynyl group of steroid hormones, which shows a turn-on fluorescence response in the presence of copper (I). The formed fluorescent products were detected by HPLC-FLD. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method presented excellent performance with good linearity (R² ≥ 0.9998) and low detection limit (1.8-7.3 μg L^-1). Further, satisfactory recoveries were obtained to be 82-107% in spiked meats with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 5.7%. Finally, the established method was successfully applied for the determination of steroid hormones in meat, indicating the potential prospect of the click reaction in chemical derivatization.

Versatile naphthalimide tetrazines for fluorogenic bioorthogonal labelling

Fluorescent probes for biological imaging have revealed much about the functions of biomolecules in health and disease. Fluorogenic probes, which are fluorescent only upon a bioorthogonal reaction with a specific partner, are particularly advantageous as they ensure that fluorescent signals observed in biological imaging arise solely from the intended target. In this work, we report the first series of naphthalimide tetrazines for bioorthogonal fluorogenic labelling. We establish that all of these compounds can be used for imaging through photophysical, analytical and biological studies. The best candidate was Np6mTz, where the tetrazine ring is appended to the naphthalimide at its 6-position via a phenyl linker in a meta configuration. Taking our synthetic scaffold, we generated two targeted variants, LysoNpTz and MitoNpTz, which successfully localized within the lysosomes and mitochondria respectively, without the requirement of genetic modification. In addition, the naphthalimide tetrazine system was used for the no-wash imaging of insulin amyloid fibrils in vitro, providing a new method that can monitor their growth kinetics and morphology. Since our synthetic approach is simple and modular, these new naphthalimide tetrazines provide a novel scaffold for a range of bioorthogonal tetrazine-based imaging agents for selective staining and sensing of biomolecules.

A Dansyl Amide N-Oxide Fluorogenic Probe Based on a Bioorthogonal Decaging Reaction

A smart fluorescence "turn-on" probe which contained a dansyl amide fluorophore and an N-oxide group was designed based on the bioorthogonal decaging reaction between N-oxide and the boron reagent. The reaction proceeds in a rapid kinetics (k2 =57.1±2.5 m-1  s-1 ), and the resulting reduction product showcases prominent fluorescence enhancement (up to 72-fold). Time dependent density functional theoretical (TD-DFT) calculation revealed that the process of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the N-oxide moiety to the dansyl amide fluorophore accounts for the quenching mechanism of N-oxide. This probe also showed high selectivity over various nucleophilic amino acids and good biocompatibility in physiological conditions. The successful application of the probe in HaloTag protein labeling and HepG2 live-cell imaging proves it a valuable tool for visualization of biomolecules.

Convertible and Constrained Nucleotides: The 2'-Deoxyribose 5'-C-Functionalization Approach, a French Touch

Many strategies have been developed to modulate the biological or biotechnical properties of oligonucleotides by introducing new chemical functionalities or by enhancing their affinity and specificity while restricting their conformational space. Among them, we review our approach consisting of modifications of the 5'-C-position of the nucleoside sugar. This allows the introduction of an additional chemical handle at any position on the nucleotide chain without disturbing the Watson-Crick base-pairing. We show that 5'-C bromo or propargyl convertible nucleotides (CvN) are accessible in pure diastereoisomeric form, either for nucleophilic displacement or for CuAAC conjugation. Alternatively, the 5'-carbon can be connected in a stereo-controlled manner to the phosphate moiety of the nucleotide chain to generate conformationally constrained nucleotides (CNA). These allow the precise control of the sugar/phosphate backbone torsional angles. The consequent modulation of the nucleic acid shape induces outstanding stabilization properties of duplex or hairpin structures in accordance with the preorganization concept. Some biological applications of these distorted oligonucleotides are also described. Effectively, the convertible and the constrained approaches have been merged to create constrained and convertible nucleotides (C2NA) providing unique tools to functionalize and stabilize nucleic acids.

Cu(I)-Catalyzed Click Chemistry in Glycoscience and Their Diverse Applications

Copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between organic azides and terminal alkynes, commonly known as CuAAC or click chemistry, has been identified as one of the most successful, versatile, reliable, and modular strategies for the rapid and regioselective construction of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as diversely functionalized molecules. Carbohydrates, an integral part of living cells, have several fascinating features, including their structural diversity, biocompatibility, bioavailability, hydrophilicity, and superior ADME properties with minimal toxicity, which support increased demand to explore them as versatile scaffolds for easy access to diverse glycohybrids and well-defined glycoconjugates for complete chemical, biochemical, and pharmacological investigations. This review highlights the successful development of CuAAC or click chemistry in emerging areas of glycoscience, including the synthesis of triazole appended carbohydrate-containing molecular architectures (mainly glycohybrids, glycoconjugates, glycopolymers, glycopeptides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycoclusters, and glycodendrimers through regioselective triazole forming modular and bio-orthogonal coupling protocols). It discusses the widespread applications of these glycoproducts as enzyme inhibitors in drug discovery and development, sensing, gelation, chelation, glycosylation, and catalysis. This review also covers the impact of click chemistry and provides future perspectives on its role in various emerging disciplines of science and technology.

Single molecule fluorescence imaging of nanoconfinement in porous materials

This review covers recent progress in using single molecule fluorescence microscopy imaging to understand the nanoconfinement in porous materials. The single molecule approach unveils the static and dynamic heterogeneities from seemingly equal molecules by removing the ensemble averaging effect. Physicochemical processes including mass transport, surface adsorption/desorption, and chemical conversions within the confined space inside porous materials have been studied at nanometer spatial resolution, at the single nanopore level, with millisecond temporal resolution, and under real chemical reaction conditions. Understanding these physicochemical processes provides the ability to quantitatively measure the inhomogeneities of nanoconfinement effects from the confining properties, including morphologies, spatial arrangement, and trapping domains. Prospects and limitations of current single molecule imaging studies on nanoconfinement are also discussed.

Dual-locked spectroscopic probes for sensing and therapy

Optical imaging probes allow us to detect and uncover the physiological and pathological functions of an analyte of interest at the molecular level in a non-invasive, longitudinal manner. By virtue of simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity, adaptation to automated analysis, capacity for spatially resolved imaging and diverse signal output modes, optical imaging probes have been widely applied in biology, physiology, pharmacology and medicine. To build a reliable and practically/clinically relevant probe, the design process often encompasses multidisciplinary themes, including chemistry, biology and medicine. Within the repertoire of probes, dual-locked systems are particularly interesting as a result of their ability to offer enhanced specificity and multiplex detection. In addition, chemiluminescence is a low-background, excitation-free optical modality and, thus, can be integrated into dual-locked systems, permitting crosstalk-free fluorescent and chemiluminescent detection of two distinct biomarkers. For many researchers, these dual-locked systems remain a 'black box'. Therefore, this Review aims to offer a 'beginner's guide' to such dual-locked systems, providing simple explanations on how they work, what they can do and where they have been applied, in order to help readers develop a deeper understanding of this rich area of research.

Design of Nitroso-Modified Naphthylene-Based Fluorophores as Photoactivatable Bioorthogonal Turn-On Probes

We reported a series of nitroso-modified naphthylene-based fluorophores as novel bioorthogonal fluorescence turn-on probes. The cycloadducts from nitroso-diene Diels-Alder reaction could be either photochemically or spontaneously transformed into highly fluorescent rearrangement products with remarkable photophysical properties including significant fluorescence enhancement, large Stokes shift, high fluorescence quantum yield, superior photostability, and distinct solvatochromic effect. This strategy is suitable for selective labeling of diene-modified proteins and visualizing specific organelles in live mammalian cells under no-wash conditions.

Synthesis of a Coumarin-Based PPARγ Fluorescence Probe for Competitive Binding Assay

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a molecular target of metabolic syndrome and inflammatory disease. PPARγ is an important nuclear receptor and numerous PPARγ ligands were developed to date; thus, efficient assay methods are important. Here, we investigated the incorporation of 7-diethylamino coumarin into the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone and used the compound in a binding assay for PPARγ. PPARγ-ligand-incorporated 7-methoxycoumarin, 1, showed weak fluorescence intensity in a previous report. We synthesized PPARγ-ligand-incorporating coumarin, 2, in this report, and it enhanced the fluorescence intensity. The PPARγ ligand 2 maintained the rosiglitazone activity. The obtained partial agonist 6 appeared to act through a novel mechanism. The fluorescence intensity of 2 and 6 increased by binding to the ligand binding domain (LBD) of PPARγ and the affinity of reported PPARγ ligands were evaluated using the probe.

Rapid, user-friendly, and inexpensive detection of azidothymidine

Strict adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is very important to improve the quality of life for HIV-positive patients to reduce new infections and determine treatment success. Azidothymidine (AZT) is an antiretroviral drug commonly used in HAART treatment. In this research, an "add, mix, and measure" assay was developed to detect AZT within minutes. Three different probes designed to release fluorophores when samples containing AZT are added were synthesized and characterized. The limit of detection to AZT in simulated urine samples was determined to be 4 μM in 5 min for one of the probes. This simple and rapid point-of-care test could potentially be used by clinicians and health care workers to monitor the presence of AZT in low resource settings.

The recent development of fluorescent probes for the detection of NADH and NADPH in living cells and in vivo

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and its phosphate ester (NADPH) participate in numerous metabolic processes in living cells as electron carriers. The levels of NADH and NADPH in a cell are closely related to its metabolic and pathological state. It is important to monitor the levels of NADH and NADPH in living cells and in vivo in real-time. This review mainly focuses on fluorescent probes developed for monitoring NADH and NADPH in living cells and in vivo, and classifies them according to the recognition units. These fluorescence probes can rapidly respond to changes in NADH and NADPH levels without interference from other biomolecules, both in cell culture and in vivo. These probes have been employed to monitor NADH and NADPH levels in living cells, tumor spheroids, and in vivo; moreover, some of them can be used to discriminate normal cells from cancer cells, and detect cancer cell death due to reductive stress induced by natural antioxidants. This review is expected to inspire the generation of novel fluorescent probes for the detection of NADH and NADPH, and stimulate more attention in the development of fluorescent probes based on carbon dots and nanoparticles, as well as metal complex-based, time-gated luminescent probes for monitoring NADH and NADPH in both living cells and in vivo.

Facile and direct halogenation of 1,2,3-triazoles promoted by a KX–oxone system under transition metal free conditions

A convenient and efficient oxidative halogenation of 4-aryl 1,2,3-triazoles is realized at ambient temperature under transition metal free conditions.

Prolinamide plays a key role in promoting copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes in aqueous media via unprecedented metallacycle intermediates

Room temperature copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes (CuAAC) proceeds in the presence of a prolinamide ligand in aqueous media via unique metallacycles.

Luminescent terpyridine appended geminal bisazide and bistriazoles: multinuclear Pt(II) complexes and AIPE-based DNA detection with the naked eye

We report square planar Pt(ii) complexes as luminescent biosensors for DNA detection in solution. The sensing is attributed to the aggregation induced bright red photoluminescence (AIPE) of the complexes in the presence of DNA that can be seen with the naked eye using only a 360 nm light source. Terpyridine appended luminescent geminal bistriazoles (L1-L4, from geminal bisazide A through azide-alkyne 'click' cycloaddition) with versatile chelating sites were explored for metal coordination and reaction with Pt(dmso)2Cl2 yielding tetranuclear and dinuclear complexes of Pt(ii) with different N∩N ligand environments. Thermally stable gem-bisazide and bistriazoles are hardly reported in the literature and this is the first report of terpyridine appended geminal bisazide and bistriazoles.

When crown ethers finally click: novel, click-assembled, fluorescent enantiopure pyridino-crown ether-based chemosensors and an N-2-aryl-1,2,3-triazole containing one

Fluorescent chemosensors containing differently connected 1,2,3-triazole units for enantiomeric recognition studies of chiral protonated primary amines and amino acid esters.

Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reaction with Genetically Encoded Fluorosulfates for Fluorogenic Protein Labeling

A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with aryl halide functionalities has recently emerged as a valuable tool for protein modification. Herein, a new fluorogenic modification methodology for proteins, with genetically encoded fluorosulfate-l-tyrosine, which exhibits high efficiency and biocompatibility in bacterial cells as well as in aqueous medium, is described. Furthermore, the cross-coupling of 4-cyanophenylboronic acid on green fluorescent protein was shown to possess a unique fluorogenic property, which could open up the possibility of a responsive "off/on" switch with great potential to enable spectroscopic imaging of proteins with minimal background noise. Taken together, a convenient and efficient catalytic system has been developed that may provide broad utilities in protein visualization and live-cell imaging.

Regiodivergent synthesis of pyrazino-indolines vs. triazocines via α-imino carbenes addition to imidazolidines

Hexahydropyrazinoindoles were prepared in a single step from N-sulfonyl triazoles and imidazolidines. Under dirhodium catalysis, α-imino carbenes were generated and formed nitrogen ylide intermediates that, after subsequent aminal opening, afforded the pyrazinoindoles predominantly via formal [1,2]-Stevens and tandem Friedel–Crafts cyclizations. Of mechanistic importance, a regiodivergent reactivity was engineered through the use of a specific unsymmetrically substituted imidazolidine that promoted the exclusive formation of 8-membered ring 1,3,6-triazocines. Based on DFT calculations, an original Curtin–Hammett-like situation was demonstrated for the mechanism. Further derivatizations led to functionalized tetrahydropyrazinoindoles in high yields.

Hexahydropyrazinoindoles are prepared in a single step from N-sulfonyl triazoles and imidazolidines. Of mechanistic importance, a regiodivergent reactivity can be engineered towards the exclusive formation of 8-membered ring 1,3,6-triazocines.

1,3-Alternate Calix[4]arene Functionalized With Pyrazole and Triazole Ligands as a Highly Selective Fluorescent Sensor for Hg2+ and Ag+ Ions

We report here the synthesis of a 1,3-alternate calix[4]arene 8, with bis-pyrazolylmethylpyrenes on the one end and bis-triazolylmethylphenyls on the other end, as a homoditropic fluorescent sensor for both Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions. Calix[4]arene 3, with lower-rim bis-pyrazolylmethylpyrenes in cone conformation, was also synthesized as a control compound. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra were used for metal ions screening, and we found that both ligands 8 and 3 showed strong excimer emission of pyrenes when they are as a free ligand in CHCl₃/MeOH (v/v, 3:1) solution; however, they both showed a high selectivity toward Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions with strong fluorescence quenching and yet with different binding ratios. The fluorescence of ligand 8 was strongly quenched by Hg²⁺ but was only partially quenched by Ag⁺ ions; however, the fluorescence of ligand 3 was strongly quenched by Hg²⁺, Ag⁺, and Cu²⁺ ions. Job plot experiments showed that ligand 8 formed a 1:2 complex with both Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions; ligand 3 formed a 1:1 complex with Hg²⁺, but it formed a 2:3 complex with Ag⁺. The binding constant of ligand 3 with Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions was determined by the Benesi-Hildebrand plot of UV-vis titration experiments to be 2.99 × 10³ and 3.83 × 10³ M⁻¹, respectively, while the association constant of ligand 8 with Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ was determined by Hill plot to be 1.46 × 10¹² and 9.24 × 10¹¹ M⁻², respectively. Ligand 8 forms a strong complex with either two Hg²⁺ or two Ag⁺ ions using both the upper and lower rims of the 1,3-alternate calix[4]arene as the binding pockets; hence, it represents one of the highly selective fluorescent sensors for the homoditropic sensing of Hg²⁺ and Ag⁺ ions.

Live Monitoring of Strain-Promoted Azide Alkyne Cycloadditions in Complex Reaction Environments by Inline ATR-IR Spectroscopy

The strain-promoted azide alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) is a powerful tool for forming covalent bonds between molecules even under physiological conditions, and therefore found broad application in fields ranging from biological chemistry and biomedical research to materials sciences. For many applications, knowledge about reaction kinetics of these ligations is of utmost importance. Kinetics are commonly assessed and studied by NMR measurements. However, these experiments are limited in terms of temperature and restricted to deuterated solvents. By using an inline ATR-IR probe we show that the cycloaddition of azides and alkynes can be monitored in aqueous and even complex biological fluids enabling the investigation of reaction kinetics in various solvents and even human blood plasma under controlled conditions in low reaction volumes.

Transition-Metal-Mediated Modification of Biomolecules

The site-selective modification of biomolecules has grown spectacularly in recent years. The presence of a large number of functional groups in a biomolecule makes its chemo- and regioselective modification a challenging goal. In this context, transition-metal-mediated reactions are emerging as a powerful tool owing to their unique reactivity and good functional group compatibility, allowing highly efficient and selective bioconjugation reactions that operate under mild conditions. This Minireview focuses on the current state of organometallic chemistry for bioconjugation, highlighting the potential of transition metals for the development of chemoselective and site-specific methods for functionalization of peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. The importance of the selection of ligands attached to the transition metal for conferring the desired chemoselectivity will be highlighted.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Ketenimine Formation/Aza-Claisen Rearrangement Cascade for Stereoselective Synthesis of α-Allylic Amidines

A copper-catalyzed three-component reaction of terminal alkynes, TsN₃, and tertiary allylic amines is developed toward the one-pot synthesis of α-allylic amidines. The product was synthesized on gram scale under 1 mol % of catalyst loading. Transformations of products into alkenyl amine and other nitrogen-containing compounds are demonstrated without any loss of stereochemical information.

Triazole-stabilized fluorescence sensor for highly selective detection of copper in tea and animal feed

A triazole-stabilized fluorescence sensor is developed for copper detection in the study. Tris-(benzyltriazolylmethyl)amine (TBTA) is used to improve the sensitivity and stability for the sensing system. A series of comparative experiments are performed with and without TBTA. In the presence of TBTA, the fluorescence decrease ratio is enhanced from 2.46 to 118.25; the detection limit is reduced from 67 nM to 3.6 nM; the higher selectivity toward copper compared to the other metal ions is verified, including K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Cr³⁺. Besides, the sensing system is successfully applied for copper determination in complex tea samples and chicken feed samples with the recovery range of 91.67-116.8%. A good consistency between the presented sensor and the flame atom absorbance spectrometry (FAAS) is confirmed by the low relative errors with the range from -2.39% to 7.02%.