Fluorescent Probes for Biological Species and Microenvironments: from Rational Design to Bioimaging Applications

Some important biological species and microenvironments maintain a complex and delicate dynamic balance in life systems, participating in the regulation of various physiological processes and playing indispensable roles in maintaining the healthy development of living bodies. Disruption of their homeostasis in living organisms can cause various diseases and even death. Therefore, real time monitoring of these biological species and microenvironments during different physiological and pathological processes is of great significance. Fluorescent-probe-based techniques have been recognized as one of the most powerful tools for real time imaging in biological samples. In this Account, we introduce the representative works from our group in the field of fluorescent probes for biological imaging capable of detecting metal ions, small bioactive molecules, and the microenvironment. The design strategies of small molecule fluorescent probes and their applications in biological imaging will be discussed. By regulating the design strategy and mechanism (e.g., ICT, PeT, and FRET) of the electronic and spectral characteristics of the fluorescent platforms, these chemical probes show high selectivity and diverse functions, which can be used for imaging of various physiological and pathological processes. Through the exploration of the rational response mechanism and design strategy, combined with a variety of imaging techniques, such as super-resolution imaging, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, etc., we have realized multimode imaging of the important biological analytes from the subcellular level to the in vivo level, which provides powerful means to study the physiological and pathological functions of these species and microenvironments. This Account aims to offer insights and inspiration for the development of novel fluorescent probes for biological imaging, which could provide powerful tools for the study of chemical biology. Overall, we represent a series of turn-on/turn-off/ratiometric fluorescent/PA probes to visually and dynamically trace biological species and microenvironments in cells and even in vivo that seek higher resolution and depth molecular imaging to improve diagnostic methods and clarify new discoveries related to chemical biology. Our future efforts will be devoted to developing multiorganelle targeted fluorescent probes to study the mechanism of subcellular organelle interaction and employing various dual-mode probes of NIR II and PA imaging to investigate the development of related diseases and treat the related diseases at subcellular and in vivo levels.