Hydrothermal conversion of one-photon-fluorescent poly(4-vinylpyridine) into two-photon-fluorescent carbon nanodots.

A novel two-photon-fluorescent N,O-heteroatom-rich carbon nanomaterial has been synthesized and characterized. The new carbon nanoparticles were produced by hydrothermal conversion from a one-photon-fluorescent poly(4-vinylpyridine) precursor (P4VP). The carbonized particles (cP4VP dots) with nonuniform particle diameter (ranging from sub-6 to 20 nm with some aggregates up to 200 nm) exhibit strong fluorescence properties in different solvents and have also been investigated for applications in cell culture media. The cP4VP dots retain their intrinsic fluorescence in a cellular environment and exhibit an average excited-state lifetime of 2.0 ± 0.9 ns in the cell. The cP4VP dots enter HeLa cells and do not cause significant damage to outer cell membranes. They provide one-photon or two-photon fluorescent synthetic scaffolds for imaging applications and/or drug delivery.

Fluorescent naphthalimide boronates as theranostics: structural investigations, confocal fluorescence and multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy in living cells.

New design and synthetic strategies were developed to generate functional phenyl boronic acid (BA)-based fluorescent probes incorporating the 1,8-naphthalimide (NI) tag. This fluorescent core was anchored onto the BA unit through small organic linkers consisting of nitrogen groups which can arrest, and internally stabilise the phenyl-boronate units. The newly synthesised fluorophores were characterised spectroscopically by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry and evaluated for their ability to bind to a naturally occurring polysaccharide, ß-d-glucan in DMSO and simultaneously as act as in vitro cell imaging reagents. The uptake of these new NI-boronic acid derivatives was studied living cancer cells (HeLa, PC-3) in the presence, and absence, of ß-d-glucan. Time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) of DMSO solutions and two-photon fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) techniques allowed an insight into the probes' interaction with their environment. Their cellular uptake and distributions were imaged using laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy under single- and two-photon excitation regimes (λmax 910 nm). FLIM facilitated the estimation of the impact of the probe's cellular surroundings using the fluorophore lifetime. The extent to which this was mediated by the ß-d-glucan was visualised by 2-photon FLIM in living cells. The fluorescence lifetime observed under a range of temperatures varied appreciably, indicating that changes in the environment can be sensed by these probes. In all cases, the cellular membrane penetration of these new probes was remarkable even under variable temperature conditions and localisation was widely concentrated in the cellular cytoplasm, without specific organelle trapping: we conclude that these new probes show promise for cellular imaging in living cancer cells.

Analysis of Protein Glycation Using Phenylboronate Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis.

Carbohydrate modification of proteins adds complexity and diversity to the proteome. However, undesired carbohydrate modifications also occur in the form of glycation, which have been implicated in diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The analysis of glycated proteins is challenging due to their complexity and variability. Numerous analytical techniques have been developed that require expensive specialized equipment and complex data analysis. In this chapter, we describe two easy-to-use electrophoresis-based methods that will enable researchers to detect, identify, and analyze these posttranslational modifications. This new cost-effective methodology will aid the detection of unwanted glycation products in processed foods and may lead to new diagnostics and therapeutics for age-related chronic diseases.

Reaction-based Indicator displacement Assay (RIA) for the selective colorimetric and fluorometric detection of peroxynitrite.

Using the self-assembly of aromatic boronic acids with Alizarin Red S (ARS), we developed a new chemosensor for the selective detection of peroxynitrite. Phenylboronic acid (PBA), benzoboroxole (BBA) and 2-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenylboronic acid (NBA) were employed to bind with ARS to form the complex probes. In particular, the ARS-NBA system with a high binding affinity can preferably react with peroxynitrite over hydrogen peroxide and other ROS/RNS due to the protection of the boron via the solvent-insertion B-N interaction. Our simple system produces a visible colorimetric change and on-off fluorescence response towards peroxynitrite. By coupling a chemical reaction that leads to an indicator displacement, we have developed a new sensing strategy, referred to herein as RIA (Reaction-based Indicator displacement Assay).

An electrochemical study of enzymatic oligonucleotide digestion.

This paper describes the synthesis and application of a novel ferrocene (Fc) label that can be efficiently attached to oligonucleotides. We demonstrate how pulse electrochemical methods can be used to measure very low concentrations of ferrocene label and, importantly, show good electroanalytical discrimination between a labelled oligonucleotide and an enzyme digested labelled oligonucleotide, in which the ferrocene label nucleotide conjugate has been released. Real time in situ analysis gives a much greater understanding of the process. Potential applications include the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences and measurement of nuclease activity.

Colorimetric enantioselective recognition of chiral secondary alcohols via hydrogen bonding to a chiral metallocene containing chemosensor.

An operationally simple colorimetric method for enantioselective detection of chiral secondary alcohols via hydrogen bonding interactions using a chiral ferrocene derivative is reported.

"Integrated" and "insulated" boronate-based fluorescent probes for the detection of hydrogen peroxide.

Integrated and insulated boronate-based fluorescent probes have been evaluated for the detection of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of saccharides.

Analysis of protein glycation using fluorescent phenylboronate gel electrophoresis.

Glycated proteins are important biomarkers for age-related disorders, however their analysis is challenging because of the complexity of the protein-carbohydrate adducts. Here we report a method that enables the detection and identification of individual glycated proteins in complex samples using fluorescent boronic acids in gel electrophoresis. Using this method we identified glycated proteins in human serum, insect hemolymph and mouse brain homogenates, confirming this technique as a powerful proteomics tool that can be used for the identification of potential disease biomarkers.

Diol appended quenchers for fluorescein boronic acid.

Fluorescein isothiocyanate is treated with 3-aminophenylboronic acid to provide a fluorescently tagged boronic acid derivative which is used to assess Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) quenching upon boronate ester formation with a series of bespoke diol appended quenchers. Fluorescence spectroscopy comparison of quenching efficiency between treatment of fluorescein and its boronic acid appended congener with quencher appended diol reveals boronate ester formation (covalently linked) to be the more efficient regime and from the panel of quenchers which also included nucleosides.