Azobenzene-based colorimetric and fluorometric chemosensor for nitroxyl releasing

Area of Science:

• Chemical Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Nitroxyl (HNO) is a crucial signaling molecule with diverse biological roles.
• The short lifetime and challenging release of HNO hinder its study.
• Existing methods for HNO detection are limited in scope and real-time application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel HNO donor and chemosensor for precise HNO release and real-time detection.
• To characterize the HNO release kinetics and stoichiometry.
• To demonstrate the utility of the developed probe for cellular imaging and HNO monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of an azobenzene-based HNO donor (Azo-D1).
• Spectrophotometric and fluorometric analysis of HNO release.
• Verification of HNO stoichiometry using a phosphine compound trap.
• Cellular imaging studies using confocal microscopy.

Main Results:

• Azo-D1 demonstrated a stable HNO release with a half-life of ~68 minutes under physiological conditions.
• A color change from orange to yellow indicated donor decomposition.
• A 6.8-fold increase in fluorescence intensity at 424 nm allowed for quantitative HNO detection.
• Successful real-time cellular imaging of HNO release was achieved without consuming the HNO source.

Conclusions:

• The Azo-D1 probe provides a reliable platform for the precise release and sensitive detection of HNO.
• This chemosensor facilitates real-time monitoring of HNO in biological environments.
• The developed Azo-D1 donor opens new avenues for exploring the biochemistry and biology of HNO.