Quantitative determination of specific analytes is essential for a variety of applications ranging from life sciences to environmental monitoring. Optical sensing allows non-invasive measurements within biological milieus, parallel monitoring of multiple samples, and less invasive imaging. Among the optical sensing methods currently being explored, ratiometric fluorescence sensing has received particular attention as a technique with the potential to provide precise and quantitative analyses. Among its advantages are high sensitivity and inherent reliability, which reflect the self-calibration provided by monitoring two (or more) emissions. A wide variety of ratiometric sensing probes using small fluorescent molecules have been developed for sensing, imaging, and biomedical applications. In this research highlight, we provide an overview of the design principles underlying small fluorescent probes that have been applied to the ratiometric detection of various analytes, including cations, anions, and biomolecules in solution and in biological samples. This highlight is designed to be illustrative, not comprehensive.

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Small molecule-based ratiometric fluorescence probes for cations, anions, and biomolecules

Triplet photosensitizers (PSs) are compounds that can be efficiently excited to the triplet excited state which subsequently act as catalysts in photochemical reactions. The name is originally derived from compounds that were used to transfer the triplet energy to other compounds that have only a small intrinsic triplet state yield. Triplet PSs are not only used for triplet energy transfer, but also for photocatalytic organic reactions, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photoinduced hydrogen production from water and triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion. A good PS should exhibit strong absorption of the excitation light, a high yield of intersystem crossing (ISC) for efficient production of the triplet state, and a long triplet lifetime to allow for the reaction with a reactant molecule. Most transition metal complexes show efficient ISC, but small molar absorption coefficients in the visible spectral region and short-lived triplet excited states, which make them unsuitable as triplet PSs. One obstacle to the development of new triplet PSs is the difficulty in predicting the ISC of chromophores, especially of organic compounds without any heavy atoms. This review article summarizes some molecular design rationales for triplet PSs, based on the molecular structural factors that facilitate ISC. The design of transition metal complexes with large molar absorption coefficients in the visible spectral region and long-lived triplet excited states is presented. A new method of using a spin converter to construct heavy atom-free organic triplet PSs is discussed, with which ISC becomes predictable, C60 being an example. To enhance the performance of triplet PSs, energy funneling based triplet PSs are proposed, which show broadband absorption in the visible region. Applications of triplet PSs in photocatalytic organic reactions, hydrogen production, triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion and luminescent oxygen sensing are briefly introduced.

Triplet photosensitizers: from molecular design to applications

We review the current state of optical methods for sensing oxygen. These have become powerful alternatives to electrochemical detection and in the process of replacing the Clark electrode in many fields. The article (with 694 references) is divided into main sections on direct spectroscopic sensing of oxygen, on absorptiometric and luminescent probes, on polymeric matrices and supports, on additives and related materials, on spectroscopic schemes for read-out and imaging, and on sensing formats (such as waveguide sensing, sensor arrays, multiple sensors and nanosensors). We finally discuss future trends and applications and summarize the properties of the most often used indicator probes and polymers. The ESI† (with 385 references) gives a selection of specific applications of such sensors in medicine, biology, marine and geosciences, intracellular sensing, aerodynamics, industry and biotechnology, among others.

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Optical methods for sensing and imaging oxygen: materials, spectroscopies and applications

Hypoxia development in tumor is closely associated with its increased aggressiveness and strong resistance to therapy, leading to the poor prognosis in several cancer types. Clinically, invasive oxygen microelectrode and high dosage radiotherapy are often utilized to accurately detect and effectively fight hypoxia. Recently, however, there has been a surge of interdisciplinary research aiming at developing functional molecules and nanomaterials that can be used to noninvasively image and efficiently treat hypoxic tumors. In this review, we will provide an overview of the reports published to date on the imaging and therapy of hypoxic tumors. First, we will present the design concepts and engineering of various hypoxia-responsive probes that can be applied to image hypoxia noninvasively, in an order of fluorescent imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and photoacoustic imaging. Then, we will summarize the up-to-date functional nanomaterials which can be used for the effective t...

Chemical Design and Synthesis of Functionalized Probes for Imaging and Treating Tumor Hypoxia

The development of near-infrared (NIR) organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is of growing interest. Donor–acceptor (D–A) chromophores have served as an important class of NIR materials for NIR OLED applications. However, the external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of NIR OLEDs based on conventional D–A chromophores are typically below 1 %. Reported herein is a butterfly-shaped D–A compound, PTZ-BZP. A PTZ-BZP film displayed strong NIR fluorescence with an emission peak at 700 nm, and the corresponding quantum efficiency reached 16 %. Remarkably, the EQE of the NIR OLED based on PTZ-BZP was 1.54 %, and a low efficiency roll-off was observed, as well as a high radiative exciton ratio of 48 %, which breaks through the limit of 25 % in conventional fluorescent OLEDs. Experimental and theoretical investigations were carried out to understand the excited-state properties of PTZ-BZP.

Highly Efficient Near-Infrared Organic Light-Emitting Diode Based on a Butterfly-Shaped Donor-Acceptor Chromophore with Strong Solid-State Fluorescence and a Large Proportion of Radiative Excitons

Room-temperature phosphorescent materials that emit light in the visible (red, green, and blue; from 400 to 700 nm) have been a major focus of research and development during the past decades, due to their applications in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), light-emitting electrochemical cells, photovoltaic cells, chemical sensors, and bio-imaging. In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescence beyond the visible region (700–2500 nm) has emerged as a new, promising, and challenging research field with potential applications toward NIR OLEDs, telecommunications, night vision-readable displays. Moreover, NIR phosphorescence holds promise for in vivo imaging, because cells and tissues exhibit little absorption and auto-fluorescence in this spectral region. This review describes the overall progress made in the past ten years on NIR phosphorescent transition-metal complexes including Cu(I), Cu(II), Cr(III), Re(I), Re(III), Ru(II), Os(II), Ir(III), Pt(II), Pd(II), Au(I), and Au(III) complexes, with a primary focus on material design complemented with a selection of optical, electronic, sensory, and biologic applications. A critical comparison of various NIR phosphorescent materials reported in the literature and a blueprint for future development in this field are also provided.

Near-infrared phosphorescence: materials and applications

A laboratory experiment visually exploring two opposite basic principles of fluorescence of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is demonstrated. The students would prepared two salicylaldehyde-based Schiff bases through a simple one-pot condensation reaction of one equiv of 1,2-diamine with 2 equiv of salicylaldehyde. The resulting fluorescent dyes have similar chemical structures but possess ACQ and AIE properties, respectively. Their ACQ/AIE properties and pH sensing applications would then examined by visually qualitative analysis (UV lamp, light-emitting diode, and naked eye) and quantitative analysis (fluorometer). Finally, in a deeper level, X-ray single crystal structure analysis was utilized to reveal the inherent relationships between molecular structures/molecular arrangements and ACQ/AIE properties. This lesson is suitable for many areas of chemistry, especially for organic and analytical chemistry.

Fluorescence Aggregation-Caused Quenching versus Aggregation-Induced Emission: A Visual Teaching Technology for Undergraduate Chemistry Students

The quantitative determination of oxygen concentration is essential for a variety of applications ranging from life sciences to environmental sciences. Optical oxygen sensing allows non-invasive measurements with biological objects, parallel monitoring of multiple samples, and imaging. In general, ratiometric optical oxygen sensing is more desirable, due to its advantages of selectivity, insensitivity to ambient or scattered light, and elimination of instrumental fluctuation. Moreover, it can provide the perceived colour change, which would be useful not only for the ratiometric method of detection but also for rapid visual sensing. Mainly focusing on material design for ratiometric measurement, this review describes the overall progress made in the past ten years on ratiometric optical ground-state triplet oxygen sensing and offers a critical comparison of various methods reported in the literature. It also provides a development blueprint for ratiometric optical oxygen sensing.

Ratiometric optical oxygen sensing: a review in respect of material design

We report our systematic studies of novel, simple, selective, and sensitive optical (both colorimetric and fluorescent) chemosensors for detecting Al3+ based on transmetalation reactions (metal displacement or exchange reactions) of a series of K(I), Ca(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), and Pt(II) complexes containing different ligands of salen-based Schiff bases. Both the chemical structure of the salen ligand and the identity of the central metal ion have a tremendous impact on the sensing performance, which is mainly determined by the stability constant of the complex. Moreover, the selectivities of the salen-complex-based chemosensors are much better than those of the corresponding free salen ligands because of the shielding function of the filled-in metal ion in the complex. Therefore, the present work potentially provides a new and simple way to design optical probes via complex-based transmetalation reactions.

Optical Chemosensors Based on Transmetalation of Salen-Based Schiff Base Complexes

A series of colorful Salen-type Schiff bases derived from the different diamine bridges including 1,2-ethylenediamine (Et1–Et3), 1,2-cyclohexanediamine (Cy1–Cy3), 1,2-phenylenediamine (Ph1–Ph4), dicyano-1,2-ethenediamine (CN1–CN3), phenazine-2,3-diamine (Phen1–Phen3), and naphthalene-2,3-diamine (Naph1 and Naph2) have been designed and prepared. The presence of electron-accepting substituents, electron-donating substituents, donor–acceptor (DA) systems, and/or π-extended systems leads to not only full absorption and emission spectra (300–700 nm) in the visible region but also high fluorescence quantum yields up to 0.83 in solution. The experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have proved that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels, and consequently the energy gaps of these Salen ligands can be well tuned. The LUMO levels of these Salen ligands are mainly affected by the diamine bridges, whereas both the HOMO ...

Jinghui Cheng

Papers

Near-infrared phosphorescence: materials and applications

Fluorescence Aggregation-Caused Quenching versus Aggregation-Induced Emission: A Visual Teaching Technology for Undergraduate Chemistry Students

Ratiometric optical oxygen sensing: a review in respect of material design

Optical Chemosensors Based on Transmetalation of Salen-Based Schiff Base Complexes

Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of Colorful Salen-Type Schiff Bases