A novel pyridinium modified tetraphenylethene: AIE-activity, mechanochromism, DNA detection and mitochondrial imaging. Issue 8 (12th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Zhaoyang; Gu, Yuan; Liu, Junyuan; Cheng, Xiao; Sun, Jing Zhi; Qin, Anjun; Tang, Ben Zhong
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 6:Issue 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1279
• Page End: 1285
• Publication Date: 2018-02-12
• Subjects: Materials -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Biomedical materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c7tb03012f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-750X

Abstract

Abstract : A cationic AIE-gen demonstrates multiple functions including mechanoluminochromic and solvatochromic effects, fluorescence turn-on responses to DNA-binding and mitochondria-specific living cell imaging. Abstract : We report the design and synthesis of a novel cationic AIE-gen, i.e., ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz, which can be derived from a facile synthetic route. ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz is a stereo-pure isomer and shows evident AIE properties with yellow-greenish emission in the solid state ( Φ F = 43.7%). Distinct from most of the ionic AIE-gens reported in the literature, which are usually exemplified by their water solubility and the capacity for interaction with charged biological species, ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz demonstrated moderate solvatochromism and evident mechanoluminochromism behaviours. The emission of ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz can be switched between yellow-greenish in the crystalline state to red-orange in the amorphous state by grinding and fuming treatments. Due to the AIE-characteristics, cationic modification and the thus-acquired water solubility, ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz performed as a sensitive fluorescent probe to detect DNA in Tris–HCl buffer solution. More importantly, ( E )-TPEDEPy-DBz showed good membrane permeability and cell viability, and the potentiality to be used as a mitochondria-specific probe working in a fluorescence turn-on mode.