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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
A pyrene-derived fluorescence probe based on π-π stacking and excimer formation for DNA detection and intracellular
Songtao Cai1,2, Chuanyan Zhou3,2, Caixia Xue1,2
1School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Weifang University, Weifang, 261061, China. caisp2008@126.com.
None:
A novel fluorescent probe L for DNA detection was designed by linking a pyrene fluorophore to a naphthalimide-imidazole unit via a benzene spacer. The probe operates through a π-π stacking-driven intercalation and excimer formation mechanism, offering an immediate "turn-off" fluorescence response with high selectivity and a detection limit of 4.41 nM under physiologically relevant pH conditions. In cellular environments, Ca2+ enables probe release from DNA, restoring cytoplasmic fluorescence and thereby allowing indirect visualization of nuclear DNA via enhanced cytoplasmic signals. This strategy demonstrates the potential of probe L for effective bioimaging in living cells.
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