NanoFN10: A High-Contrast Turn-On Fluorescence Nanoprobe for Multiphoton Singlet Oxygen Imaging.

An "off-on" fluorescent nanoprobe for near-infrared multiphoton imaging of singlet oxygen has been developed. The nanoprobe comprises a naphthoxazole fluorescent unit and a singlet-oxygen-sensitive furan derivative attached to the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. In solution, the fluorescence of the nanoprobe increases upon reaction with singlet oxygen both under one- and multiphoton excitation, with fluorescence enhancements up to 180-fold. The nanoprobe can be readily internalized by macrophage cells and is capable of imaging intracellular singlet oxygen under multiphoton excitation.

Acid- and hydrogen-bonding-induced switching between 22-π and 18-π electron conjugations in 2-aminothiazolo[4,5-c]porphycenes.

2-Aminothiazolo[4,5-c]porphycenes are a novel class of 22-π electron aromatic porphycene derivatives prepared by click reaction of porphycene isothiocyanates with primary and secondary amines with high potential as near-infrared theranostic labels. Herein, the optical and photophysical properties of 2-aminothiazolo[4,5-c]porphycenes have been studied, revealing a strong dependence on hydrogen bond donor solvents and acids. High hydrogen bond donor solvents and acids shift the absorption and fluorescence emission of 2-aminothiazolo[4,5-c]porphycenes to the blue due to a contraction of their aromatic system from 22-π to 18-π electrons. Finally, the aromatic shift has been successfully used to measure the pH using 2-aminothiazoloporphycene-labelled gold nanoclusters, paving the way for the use of these compounds as near infrared pH-sensitive probes.

Singlet Oxygen Quantum Yield Determination Using Chemical Acceptors.

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is the first electronic excited state of molecular oxygen. Due to its non-radical and non-ionic character as well as its mild reactivity, 1O2 has a pivotal role in cell signaling processes at low concentration, yet it is cytotoxic at high concentrations. Quantifying the production of 1O2, particularly in biological systems, is therefore essential for understanding and controlling its effects. 1O2 can be produced by chemical and biological reactions, yet its most common method of production is by photosensitization, whereby an initially photoexcited molecule transfers its acquired electronic energy to the dioxygen molecule. The efficiency of this process is characterized by the 1O2 production quantum yield, ΦΔ, which can be determined by directly monitoring its intrinsic weak near-infrared phosphorescence or indirectly by trapping it with a suitable acceptor, a process that can be monitored by common analytical techniques. Indirect methods are thus very popular, yet they may lead to severe errors if used incorrectly. Herein we describe the common aspects of indirect methods and propose a general step-by-step procedure for the determination of ΦΔ values. In addition, we identify the key experimental conditions that need to be controlled to obtain meaningful results.

3-Hydroxykynurenine bound to eye lens proteins induces oxidative modifications in crystalline proteins through a type I photosensitizing mechanism.

Photosensitized reactions mediated by endogenous chromophores have been associated with the etiology of age-related cataract disease. Endogenous chromophores such as 3-hydroxykynurenine (3OHKN) can be found in both free form, and bound to crystallin proteins. However, their efficiency in generating photo-induced oxidative modifications on eye lens proteins is not completely understood. In this work, the efficiency and photodynamic activity of 3OHKN bound to both lysine (3OHKN-Lys) and bovine lens proteins (3OHKN-BLP) was assessed and compared with the photosensitizing activity of the major chromophore arising from glucose degradation (GDC). The photosensitizing activity of 3OHKN-Lys, 3OHKN-BLP and GDC was characterized by measurement of singlet oxygen quantum yields, O2 consumption, SDS-PAGE and amino acid analysis of the photo-oxidized proteins. Singlet oxygen quantum yields under 20% O2 atmosphere were 0.02, 0.01, and 0.27 for 3OHKN-Lys, 3OHKN-BLP and GDC, respectively. O2 consumption by photosensitized reactions was more efficient for 3OHKN-BLP, with the extent of O2 consumption being ∼28% higher than for 3OHKN-Lys and GDC under both 5 and 20% O2. SDS-PAGE showed that protein crosslinking is dependent on the O2 concentration, and more extensive at 5 than 20% O2. GDC and 3OHKN-Lys were the most efficient crosslinkers at 20 and 5% O2, respectively. Amino acid analysis of the irradiated proteins showed consumption of Trp, His, Tyr and Phe, and formation of kynurenine (from Trp), methionine sulfoxide (from Met) and DOPA (from Tyr). Kynurenine formation was dependent on the O2 concentration with higher amounts detected at 5 than 20% O2 for 3OHKN-BLP and 3OHKN-Lys, with 3OHKN-BLP the most efficient sensitizer. Our results suggest that 3OHKN-BLP can elicit photo-oxidative damage mainly by a type I photosensitizing mechanism, with this likely to be the most prevalent pathway at the low physiologic O2 concentrations in the eye lens.

Photophysics and photochemistry of naphthoxazinone derivatives.

The photophysics and photochemistry of a series of naphthoxazinones have been studied using a combination of methods ranging from steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques to product analysis. The photophysics of naphthoxazinone derivatives is very dependent on the structure: phenanthrene-like compounds exhibit higher fluorescence quantum yield than the less aromatic anthracene-like homologous. The latter, exhibit a substantial degree of charge transfer in the excited singlet state. These compounds are fairly photostable in the absence of additives, yielding a single photoproduct arising from the triplet state. The presence of electron donors such as amines increases the photoconsumption quantum yield and changes the product distribution, the primary photoproduct being a dihydronaphthoxazinone that photoreacts further yielding ultimately an oxazoline derivative.

Structure-activity study of furyl aryloxazole fluorescent probes for the detection of singlet oxygen.

In this study, we report the synthesis and the photochemical behavior of a series of new "click-on" fluorescent probes designed to detect singlet oxygen. They include a highly fluorescent chemical structure, an aryloxazole ring, linked to a furan moiety operating as singlet oxygen trap. Their activity depends on both the structure of the aryloxazole fluorophore and the electron-donating and electron-accepting properties of the substituents attached to the C-5 of the furan ring. All probes are selectively oxidized by singlet oxygen to give a single fluorescent product in methanol and produce negligible amounts of singlet oxygen themselves by self-sensitization. The most promising dyad, (E)-2-(2-(5-methylfuran-2-yl)vinyl)naphtho[1,2-d]oxazole, FN-6, shows outstanding reactivity and sensitivity: it traps singlet oxygen with a rate constant (5,8 ± 0.1) x 1(07) M-1 s-1 and its fluorescence increases by a factor of 500 upon reaction. Analysis of the dyads reactivity in terms of linear free energy relationships using the modified Swain and Lupton parameter F and the Fukui condensed function for the electrophilic attack, suggests that cycloaddition of singlet oxygen to the furan ring is partially concerted and possibly involves an exciplex with a "more open" structure than could be expected for a concerted cycloaddition.

Intense White Molecular Fluorescence from Naphthoxazole-Quinoline Derivatives.

Naphthoxazole derivatives are small heterocyclic compounds endowed with outstanding fluorescence properties. In this work, we report a detailed study of the intense white light fluorescence observed in naphthoxazole-quinoline dyads in solvent mixtures including at least a strong hydrogen bonding solvent. The same phenomenon was also studied in inclusion complexes naphthoxazole derivatives-sulfonated-ßCD either in aqueous solution as well as in solid phase. A novel mechanism of white molecular fluorescence generation based on solvent-to-fluorophore proton transfer facilitated by ground state hydrogen bonding was characterized. The emission combines both, a blue charge transfer fluorescence emitted by the locally excited singlet state along with a red-shifted emission from a proton transfer complex.

Study of singlet oxygen equilibrium in dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride vesicles employing 2-(n-(N,N,N-trimethylamine)-n-alkyl)-5-alkylfuryl halides.

Steady state photolysis and time resolved near infrared luminescence detection were employed to study the reaction kinetics of singlet oxygen with three different lipid-soluble probes incorporated in large unilamellar dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODAC) vesicles. The probes: 2-(4-(N,N,N-trimethylamine)-butyl)-5-dodecylfuryl bromide (DFTA), 2-(12-(N,N,N-trimethylamine)-dodecyl)-5-hexylfuryl bromide (HFDA) and 2-(1-(N,N,N-trimethylamine)-methyl)-5-methylfuryl iodide (MFMA) are useful in studying both singlet oxygen dynamics and its equilibrium in microcompartmentalized systems because they are actinometers in lipidic microphases. These probes contain a reactive furan ring, which will be located at different depths in the bilayer of DODAC vesicles. In the limit of the approximations, the result indicates an inhomogeneous equilibrium distribution of singlet oxygen across the bilayer. The calculated mean partitioning constant of singlet oxygen equals 2.8 and 8.3 at 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C, respectively, in the order of the previously reported constants for other microorganized systems such as sodium dodecylsulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium halide micelles and water/oil microemulsions.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method for determination 2-(n-(N,N,N-trimethyl)-n-alkyl)-5-alkylfuryl halides in dipalmitoylphosphatidilcholine liposome solutions.

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of 2-(4-(N,N,N-trimethyl)-butyl)-5-dodecylfuryl bromide (DFTA) in dipalmitoylphophatidil-choline (DPPC) liposome solutions has been developed. Lipid-soluble furan derivatives, 2,5-disubstituted with different n-alkyl chains and a terminal trimethylammonium group are useful probes for studying singlet oxygen dynamics and equilibria in microcompartmentalized systems. The actual HPLC method uses a gradient elution and DAD detection. The chromatographic separation of these components is achieved using a C18 analytical column with a 10mM solution of 1-heptanesulfonic acid (PIC-7)-methanol (10:90, v/v) as initial mobile phase. Both DFTA peaks are well resolved and free of interference from matrix components and reaction products. The method has been found to be linear (r > 0.999) over a wide concentration range and reliable to perform kinetic experiments in which the time dependent consumption of a tetraalkylammonium surfactant in a microorganized systems composed by lipidic surfactants is followed.

Sensitized photooxidation of thyroidal hormones. Evidence for heavy atom effect on singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Deltag)]-mediated photoreactions.

Thyronine derivatives are essential indicators of thyroid gland diseases in clinical diagnosis and are currently used as standards for developing ordinary biochemical assays. Photooxidation of gland hormones of the thyronine (TN) family and structurally related compounds (TN, 3,5-diiodothyronine,3,3',5-triiodothyronine and 3,3',5,5'-tetraiodothyronine or thyroxine) was studied using rose bengal, eosin and perinaphthenone (PN) as dye sensitizers. Tyrosine (Tyr) and two iodinated derivatives (3-iodotyrosine and 3,5-diiodotyrosine) were also included in the study for comparative purposes. Irradiation of aqueous solutions of substrates containing xanthene dyes with visible light triggers a complex series of competitive interactions, which include the triplet excited state of the dye (3Xdye*) and singlet molecular oxygen [O2(1Deltag)]-mediated and superoxide ion-mediated reactions. Rate constants for interaction with the 3Xdye*, attributed to an electron transfer process, are in the order of 10(8)-10(9) M-1 s-1 depending on the dye and the particular substrate. The photosensitization using PN follows a pure Type-II (O2(1Deltag) mediated) mechanism. The presence of the phenolic group in Tyr, TN and iodinated derivatives dominates the kinetics of photooxidation of these compounds. The reactive rate constants, k(r), and the quotient between reactive and overall rate constants (k(r)/k(t) values, in the range of 0.7-0.06) behave in an opposite fashion compared with the overall rate constants and oxidation potentials. This apparent inconsistency was interpreted on the basis of an internal heavy atom effect, favoring the intersystem-crossing deactivation route within the encounter complex with the concomitant reduction of effective photooxidation.

Determination of the sum of malachite green and leucomalachite green in salmon muscle by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive method for the determination and confirmation of the sum of malachite green (MG) and leucomalachite green (LMG) in salmon muscle has been developed. It is based on the use of an oxidative pre-column reaction which converts LMG into MG previous to liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS) analysis. The determination of both compounds together constitutes a good screening method to confirm the presence of this kind of residue, taking into account that the combined signals will provide a gain of sensitivity. The detection limit, determined for spiked salmon samples using the confirmatory ion m/z 313, was 0.15 microg/kg. The recoveries determined at a spiking level of 2 microg/kg were 85 and 70% for LMG and MG, respectively, with respective relative standard deviations of 1.3 and 3.1%.

Naphthoxazole-based singlet oxygen fluorescent probes.

In this study, we report the synthesis and photochemical behavior of a new family of photoactive compounds to assess its potential as singlet oxygen ((1)O2) probes. The candidate dyads are composed by a (1)O2 trap plus a naphthoxazole moiety linked directly or through an unsaturated bond to the oxazole ring. In the native state, the inherent great fluorescence of the naphthoxazole moiety is quenched; but in the presence of (1)O2, generated by the addition and appropriate irradiation of an external photosensitizer, a photooxidation reaction occurs leading to the formation of a new chemical entity whose fluorescence is two orders of magnitude higher than that of the initial compound, at the optimal selected wavelength. The presented dyads outperform the commonly used indirect fluorescent (1)O2 probes in terms of fluorescence enhancement maintaining the required specificity for (1)O2 detection in solution.

Solvent and media effects on the photophysics of naphthoxazole derivatives.

The photophysical properties of 2-phenyl-naphtho[1,2-d][1,3]oxazole, 2(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)naphtho[1,2-d][1,3]oxazole and 2(4-N,N-diphenylaminophenyl) naphtho[1,2-d][1,3]oxazole were studied in a series of solvents. UV-Vis absorption spectra are insensitive to solvent polarity whereas the fluorescence spectra in the same solvent set show an important solvatochromic effect leading to large Stokes shifts. Linear solvation energy relationships were employed to correlate the position of fluorescence spectra maxima with microscopic empirical solvent parameters. This study indicates that important intramolecular charge transfer takes place during the excitation process. In addition, an analysis of the solvatochromic behavior of the UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectra in terms of the Lippert-Mataga equation shows a large increase in the excited-state dipole moment, which is also compatible with the formation of an intramolecular charge-transfer excited state. We propose both naphthoxazole derivatives as suitable fluorescent probes to determine physicochemical microproperties in several systems and as dyes in dye lasers; consequence of their high fluorescence quantum yields in most solvents, their large molar absorption coefficients, with fluorescence lifetimes in the range 1-3 ns as well as their high photostability.

Singlet oxygen reactions with flavonoids. A theoretical-experimental study.

Detection of singlet oxygen emission, λ(max) = 1270 nm, following laser excitation and steady-state methods were employed to measure the total reaction rate constant, k(T), and the reactive reaction rate constant, k(r), for the reaction between singlet oxygen and several flavonoids. Values of k(T) determined in deuterated water, ranging from 2.4×10(7) M(-1) s(-1) to 13.4×10(7) M(-1) s(-1), for rutin and morin, respectively, and the values measured for k(r), ranging from 2.8×10(5) M(-1) s(-1) to 65.7×10(5) M(-1) s(-1) for kaempferol and morin, respectively, being epicatechin and catechin chemically unreactive. These results indicate that all the studied flavonoids are good quenchers of singlet oxygen and could be valuable antioxidants in systems under oxidative stress, in particular if a flavonoid-rich diet was previously consumed. Analysis of the dependence of rate constant values with molecular structure in terms of global descriptors and condensed Fukui functions, resulting from electronic structure calculations, supports the formation of a charge transfer exciplex in all studied reactions. The fraction of exciplex giving reaction products evolves through a hydroperoxide and/or an endoperoxide intermediate produced by singlet oxygen attack on the double bond of the ring C of the flavonoid.

Sucrose monoester micelles size determined by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS).

One of the several uses of sucrose detergents, as well as other micelle forming detergents, is the solubilization of different membrane proteins. Accurate knowledge of the micelle properties, including size and shape, are needed to optimize the surfactant conditions for protein purification and membrane characterization. We synthesized sucrose esters having different numbers of methylene subunits on the substituent to correlate the number of methylene groups with the size of the corresponding micelles. We used Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) and two photon excitation to determine the translational D of the micelles and calculate their corresponding hydrodynamic radius, R(h). As a fluorescent probe we used LAURDAN (6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene), a dye highly fluorescent when integrated in the micelle and non-fluorescent in aqueous media. We found a linear correlation between the size of the tail and the hydrodynamic radius of the micelle for the series of detergents measured.

Solvent effect on the sensitized photooxygenation of 2,3-dihydropyrazine derivatives.

Detection of O(2)((1)Delta(g)) phosphorescence emission, lambda(max) = 1270 nm, following laser excitation and steady-state methods was employed to determine the total rate constant, k(T), and the chemical reaction rate constant, k(R), for reaction between 5,6-disubstituted-2,3-dihydropyrazines and singlet oxygen in several solvents. Values of k(T) ranged from 0.26 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) in hexafluoro-2-propanol to 58.9 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) in N,N-dimethylacetamide for 5,6-dimethyl-2,3-dihydropyrazine (DMD) and from 5.74 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) in trifluoroethanol to 159.0 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) in tributyl phosphate for 5-methyl-6-phenyl-2,3-dihydropyrazine (MPD). Chemical reaction rate constants, k(R), for DMD are similar to k(T) in polar solvents such as propylencarbonate, whereas for MPD in this solvent, the contribution of the chemical channel to the total reaction is about of 4%. Dependence of the total rate constant on solvent microscopic parameters, alpha and pi, for DMD can be explained in terms of a reaction mechanism that involves formation of a perepoxide exciplex. Replacement of the methyl by a phenyl substituent enhances dihydropyrazine ring reactivity toward singlet oxygen and modifies the dependence of k(T) on solvent parameters, specially on the Hildebrand parameter. These results are explained in terms of an additional reaction path, involving a perepoxide-like exciplex stabilized by the interaction of the negative charge on the terminal oxygen of the perepoxide with the aromatic pi system.