Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Functional Calcium Imaging in Developing Cortical Networks
Published on: October 22, 2011
Enhancing the Anti-Solvatochromic Two-Photon Fluorescence for Cirrhosis Imaging by Forming a Hydrogen-Bond Network
Tian-Bing Ren1, Wang Xu1, Qian-Ling Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Two-photon imaging is an emerging tool for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Electron donor-acceptor (D-A) type molecules are the most widely employed two-photon scaffolds. However, current D-A type fluorophores suffer from solvatochromic quenching in aqueous biological samples. To address this issue, we devised a novel class of D-A type green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore analogues that form a hydrogen-bond network in water to improve the two-photon efficiency. Our design results in two-photon chalcone (TPC) dyes with 0.80 quantum yield and large two-photon action cross section (210 GM) in water. This strategy to form hydrogen bonds can be generalized to design two-photon materials with anti-solvatochromic fluorescence. To demonstrate the improved in vivo imaging, we designed a sulfide probe based on TPC dyes and monitored endogenous H2 S generation and scavenging in the cirrhotic rat liver for the first time.
More Related Videos
09:06In vivo Imaging of Biological Tissues with Combined Two-Photon Fluorescence and Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy
Published on: December 20, 2021
09:29Utilization of Plasmonic and Photonic Crystal Nanostructures for Enhanced Micro- and Nanoparticle Manipulation
Published on: September 27, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Hydrogen Bonds
Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!
Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are unequally shared....
Hydrogen Bonds
IR Spectrum Peak Broadening: Hydrogen Bonding
However, the extent of hydrogen bonding influences the observed stretching frequency and band broadening. Intermolecular or intramolecular...
Valence Bond Theory
Covalent Bonds
Bond Energies and Bond Lengths