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pH-Sensitive Near-IR Emitting Dinuclear Ruthenium Complex for Recognition, Two-Photon Luminescent Imaging, and
Hui-Yu Liu1, Si-Qi Zhang1, Meng-Chao Cui1
1Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
ACS Applied Bio Materials
|January 13, 2022
Summary
A novel dinuclear Ruthenium(II) complex shows pH sensitivity and selectively targets cancer cells. This luminescent complex offers potential for real-time tracking and imaging of lysosomes in live cells, aiding tumor diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Coordination Chemistry
- Bioinorganic Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Development of functional metal complexes for biological applications.
- Need for selective imaging agents in cellular environments.
- Exploration of Ruthenium(II) complexes for luminescence-based sensing.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize and characterize a novel dinuclear Ruthenium(II) complex.
- Investigate its pH-responsive properties and cellular uptake.
- Evaluate its potential for live cell imaging and tumor diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of the dinuclear Ru(II) complex using elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and 1H NMR.
- Spectrophotometric pH titrations in aqueous buffer.
- In vitro cell experiments with HeLa and HEK293 cells, including luminescence imaging.
Main Results:
- The complex exhibits pH sensitivity in the physiological range (6.0-8.0).
- It selectively accumulates in lysosomes of HeLa cells, differentiating them from HEK293 cells.
- The complex displays favorable photophysical properties: near-IR emission (~700 nm), large Stokes shift (~200 nm), long excited state lifetime, high photostability, low cytotoxicity (IC50 > 100 μM), and good solubility.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized Ru(II) complex is a promising candidate for real-time tracking and visualization of lysosomes in live cells.
- Its tumor cell-specific luminescence and imaging capabilities suggest potential applications in high-resolution tumor imaging and luminescence-guided tumor resection.
