Use of an osmium complex as a universal luminescent probe for enzymatic reactions

The water-soluble bis(bipyridine)chloro(4-picolinic acid) osmium complex, [Os(III)(bpy)2Cl(PyCOOH)]2+ (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine, Py=pyridine), is fluorescent in aqueous solution, whereas the reduced form of the complex, [Os(II)(bpy)2Cl(PyCOOH)]+, shows no significant fluorescence under the same conditions. Such reversible redox control of the fluorescence of the complex can be easily adapted to follow any enzymatic reaction to yield oxidising or reducing products that are capable of interacting with [Os(III)(bpy)2Cl(PyCOOH)]2+ or [Os(II)(bpy)2Cl(PyCOOH)]+. Based on the redox reaction between products of biocatalytic reactions and the osmium complex, we have designed a simple bioanalytical assay for the detection of nerve gases, alpha-ketoglutarate, hydrogen peroxide and glucose.