Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2025

A Bright NIR-II Fluorescence Probe for Vascular and Tumor Imaging
Published on: March 17, 2023
Highly selective Zn2+ near-infrared fluorescent probe and its application in biological imaging
Qixiang Song1, Cuibing Bai1, Yajie Dong1
1School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Development and Industrial Integration Jointly Established Discipline, Engineering Research Center of Biomass Conversion and Pollution Prevention of Anhui Educational Institutions, Anhui Provincical Key Laboratory for Degradation and Monitoring of Pollution of the Environment, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, Anhui Province 236037, PR China.
Abstract:
Zn2+ plays a vital role in regulating various life processes, such as gene expression, cell signaling, and brain function. In this study, a near-infrared fluorescent probe AXS was synthesized to detect Zn2+ with good fluorescence specificity, high selectivity, and high sensitivity; the detection limit of Zn2+ was 6.924 × 10-11 M. The mechanism of Zn2+ recognition by the AXS probe was investigated by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance titrations, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Test paper experiments showed that the AXS probe could detect Zn2+ in real samples. In addition, quantitative and qualitative detection of Zn2+ in common foodstuffs was achieved. For portable Zn2+ detection, a smartphone detection platform was also developed based on the AXS probe. Importantly, the AXS probe showed good bioimaging capabilities in Caenorhabditis elegans and mice.

