Highly sensitive and selective phosphorescent chemosensors for hypochlorous acid based on ruthenium(II) complexes.
Microbicidal activity of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) plays pivotal roles in many biological processes, and suitable methods for the in vivo detection of HOCl are highly desirable. Herein we report the development of two novel ruthenium(II) complex-based phosphorescent chemosensors for HOCl, [Ru(bpy)2(DNCA-bpy)](PF6)2 (bpy: 2,2'-bipyridine; DNCA-bpy: 4-N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)carboxamide-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and [Ru(bpy)2(DNCH-bpy)](PF6)2 (DNCH-bpy: 4-N'-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)carbohydrazide-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine). The two sensors are almost non-luminescent due to the intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process from the Ru(II)-bpy moiety to dinitrophenyl group, but specific reaction of the sensors with HOCl in aqueous media can afford a highly luminescent derivative, [Ru(bpy)2(COOH-bpy)](PF6)2 (COOH-bpy: 4-carboxylic acid-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine), accompanied by 190-fold and 1100-fold turn-on luminescence signal enhancement for [Ru(bpy)2(DNCA-bpy)](PF6)2 and [Ru(bpy)2(DNCH-bpy)](PF6)2, respectively. By taking advantage of high specificity and sensitivity of the chemosensor and excellent photophysical property of Ru(II) complex, [Ru(bpy)2(DNCH-bpy)](PF6)2 was applied for visualizing the endogenous HOCl generation in living macrophage cells during the processes of stimulation and phagocytosis via the red-emitting luminescence.
['Zhang|Run|R|', 'Song|Bo|B|', 'Dai|Zhichao|Z|', 'Ye|Zhiqiang|Z|', 'Xiao|Yunna|Y|', 'Liu|Yan|Y|', 'Yuan|Jingli|J|']
D015082:2,2'-Dipyridyl D000818:Animals D015374:Biosensing Techniques D002460:Cell Line D006367:HeLa Cells D006801:Humans D006997:Hypochlorous Acid D049408:Luminescent Agents D008264:Macrophages D051379:Mice D061848:Optical Imaging D012428:Ruthenium
Phosphorescent chemosensor Hypochlorous acid Ruthenium(II) complex Luminescence imaging