Incorporating Thiourea into Fluorescent Probes: A Reliable Strategy for Mitochondrion-Targeted Imaging and Superoxide Anion Tracking in Living Cells
Tao Wang, Imran Shah, Zeng‐Ming Yang, Weidong Yin, Shaoxiong Zhang, Yuan Yang, Pei Yin, Hengchang Ma
Abstract
Three aggregation-induced emission active fluorescent compounds, TPA-Pyr-Octane, TPA-Pyr-Br, and TPA-Pyr-Thiourea (TPA = triphenylamine pyridinium), are synthesized; their tiny differences in chemical structures result in a huge difference in cell-imaging applications. Especially, incorporating thiourea into fluorescent probes is found as a reliable strategy for mitochondrion-targeted imaging and superoxide anion tracking in living cells, which is possibly due to the presence of hydrogen bonding between thiourea and mitochondrion proteins. This finding is very useful for the design of biosensors and delivery carriers in disease treatment.
Topics & Concepts
ThioureaChemistryLive cell imagingFluorescenceSuperoxidePyridiniumBiosensorFluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopyFluorescence microscopeCombinatorial chemistryMitochondrionBiochemistryCellOrganic chemistryEnzymePhysicsQuantum mechanicsMolecular Sensors and Ion DetectionLuminescence and Fluorescent MaterialsNanoplatforms for cancer theranostics