Nickel(II)-induced excimer formation of a naphthalene-based fluorescent probe for living cell imaging

Inorg Chem. 2012 May 21;51(10):5699-704. doi: 10.1021/ic300130y. Epub 2012 May 4.

Abstract

Ni(2+)-induced intramolecular excimer formation of a naphthalene-based novel fluorescent probe, 1-[(naphthalen-3-yl)methylthio]-2-[(naphthalen-6-yl)methylthio]ethane (L), has been investigated for the first time and nicely demonstrated by excitation spectra, a fluorescence lifetime experiment, and (1)H NMR titration. The addition of Ni(2+) to a solution of L (DMSO:water = 1:1, v/v; λ(em) = 345 nm, λ(ex) = 280 nm) quenched its monomer emission, with subsequent enhancement of the excimer intensity (at 430 nm) with an isoemissive point at 381 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of free L (0.3912 ns) is much lower than that of the nickel(2+) complex (1.1329 ns). L could detect Ni(2+) as low as 1 × 10(-6) M with a fairly strong binding constant, 2.0 × 10(4) M(-1). Ni(2+)-contaminated living cells of plant origin could be imaged using a fluorescence microscope.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cations, Divalent / analysis
  • Cations, Divalent / chemistry
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemical synthesis
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Magnoliopsida / cytology*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods
  • Models, Molecular
  • Naphthalenes / chemical synthesis
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry*
  • Nickel / analysis*
  • Nickel / chemistry
  • Pollen / cytology

Substances

  • Cations, Divalent
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Naphthalenes
  • naphthalene
  • Nickel