Long-lived lanthanide emission via a pH-sensitive and switchable LRET complex |
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Authors: | Tamara Boltersdorf Felicity N E Gavins Nicholas J Long |
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Institution: | Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London W12 0BZ UK.; Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine (CIRTM), Brunel University London, Uxbridge Middlesex UB8 3PH UK |
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Abstract: | Lanthanide-based luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) can be used as a tool to enhance lanthanide emission for time-resolved cellular imaging applications. By shortening lanthanide emission lifetimes whilst providing an alternative radiative pathway to the formally forbidden, weak lanthanide-only emission, the photon flux of such systems is increased. With this aim in mind, we investigated energy transfer in differently spaced donor–acceptor terbium–rhodamine pairs with the LRET “on” (low pH) and LRET “off” (high pH). Results informed the design, preparation and characterisation of a compound containing terbium, a spectrally-matched pH-responsive fluorophore and a receptor-targeting group. By combining these elements, we observed switchable LRET, where the targeting group sensitises lanthanide emission, resulting in an energy transfer to the rhodamine dye with an efficiency of E = 0.53. This strategy can be used to increase lanthanide emission rates for brighter optical probes.A pH-sensitive luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) was explored as a method to increase photon flux in a terbium-rhodamine-receptor targeting group construct. At low pH, long-lived dye emission and shorter terbium lifetimes were observed. |
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