A versatile molecular beacon-like probe for multiplexed detection based on fluorescence polarization and its application for a resettable logic gate

A versatile molecular beacon (MB)-like probe was developed for multiplexed detection based on fluorescence polarization by target-induced allosteric effect and furthermore for resettable logic gate operation.     

A naphthalimide fluorophore with efficient intramolecular PET and ICT processes: application in molecular logic

A novel 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (NDI) with two different metal cation receptors connected at 4-amino or imide nitrogen positions respectively was designed and prepared. Significant internal charge transfer (ICT) as well as photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the receptors to NDI is revealed by the shifted UV-vis absorption spectra and significant fluorescence quenching. Both Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) can coordinate selectively with the two cation receptors in this molecule with different affinities. The coordination of Zn(2+) with the receptor at imide nitrogen hindered the PET process and accordingly restored the quenched fluorescence of NDI. But the coordination of Zn(2+) at 4-amino position blocked the ICT process and caused significant blue-shift on the absorption peak with the fluorescence intensity unaffected. Similarly, coordination of Cu(2+) with the receptor at imide nitrogen can block the PET process, but can not restore the quenched fluorescence of compound 3 due to the paramagnetic properties of Cu(2+), which quench the fluorescence significantly instead. With Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) as two chemical inputs and absorption or fluorescence as output, several logic gate operations, such as OR, NOR and INHIBIT, can be achieved.     

A coumarin based ICT probe for fluoride in aqueous medium with its real application

A new coumarin based hydrazone (receptor 1) synthesized by modifying one of our earlier reported receptor detected fluoride ion selectively through naked eye in aq. DMSO (5:95, v/v). It was also able to detect fluoride through naked eye in a toothpaste sample. The addition of 1 equiv. of fluoride as its tetrabutylammonium salt to the 5 × 10⁻⁵ M aq. DMSO solution of the receptor 1 produced red color while the similar addition of acetate produced faint pink color. The dihydrogenphosphate and a variety of other anions were not able to produce any significant color change with receptor 1 under similar experimental conditions. The corresponding UV-vis measurements showed a bathochromic shifting of 455 nm band of receptor 1 to 514 and 484 nm for fluoride and acetate, respectively. The non-linear fittings of corresponding UV-vis titration data in 1:1 binding equation yielded association constants in 10⁵:1 ratio for fluoride and acetate, respectively. The ¹H NMR titrations studies shade further light on their mode of binding with receptor 1. The quantum mechanical calculations through time dependant density functional theory (TD-DFT) using basis set b3lyp/6-311g** supported our experimental findings nicely.     

A unique two-photon fluorescent probe based on ICT mechanism for imaging palladium in living cells and mice

Palladium(0) as one of the vital transition metals, is employed in numerous industries, such as drug synthesis, aerospace high-tech field and automobile industry. When the Pd(0) enter into the body, it will bind with thiol-containing amino acids, DNA, RNA, and other biomolecules damaging to human health. Thus, developing a novel tool for monitoring and imaging of Pd(0) in vivo is very urgent. In the work, based on a intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism a two-photon fluorescent probe NIPd had been designed and synthesized for the recognition Pd(0). In vitro experiments data displayed that probe NIPd exhibited a 13-fold fluorescent increase for Pd(0) in 30 min in the aqueous solution with a detection limit of 16 nmol/L. It also showed the outstanding selectivity and antijamming performance. More importantly, NIPd could be served as a two-photon fluorescent probe for real-time monitoring Pd(0) in living cells and mice.     

A unique two-photon fluorescent probe based on ICT mechanism for imaging palladium in living cells and mice

Palladium(0) as one of the vital transition metals, is employed in numerous industries, such as drug synthesis, aerospace high-tech field and automobile industry. When the Pd(0) enter into the body, it will bind with thiol-containing amino acids, DNA, RNA, and other biomolecules damaging to human health. Thus, developing a novel tool for monitoring and imaging of Pd(0) in vivo is very urgent. In the work, based on a intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism a two-photon fluorescent probe NIPd had been designed and synthesized for the recognition Pd(0). In vitro experiments data displayed that probe NIPd exhibited a 13-fold fluorescent increase for Pd(0) in 30 min in the aqueous solution with a detection limit of 16 nmol/L. It also showed the outstanding selectivity and antijamming performance. More importantly, NIPd could be served as a two-photon fluorescent probe for real-time monitoring Pd(0) in living cells and mice.     

A ratiometric and exclusively selective Cu fluorescent probe based on internal charge transfer (ICT)

A new ratiometric and exclusively selective fluorescent probe N-butyl-4,5-di[N-(phenyl)-2-(amino)-acetamino]-1,8-naphthalimide (1) was designed and synthesized on the basis of the mechanism of internal charge transfer (ICT). The probe 1 showed exclusively selectivity for Cu^II in the presence of a variety of other metal ions in aqueous ethanol solutions and the binding mode of probe 1 with Cu^II was 1:1 metal-ligand complex. Fluorescent emission spectra of probe 1 in the presence of Cu^II showed a 50 nm blue shift, which is from 521 nm to 471 nm. Furthermore, probe 1 shows the same fluorescent change with the Cu^II in living cells.     

A near-infrared large Stokes shift probe based enhanced ICT strategy for F- detection in real samples and cell imaging

In view of the few reports of the near-infrared emissive probe for fluorine ions, we herein designed and synthesized a new easy-to-get colorimetric and near-infrared emissive fluorescent probe (IS-NR-F) with a large Stokes shift (>127 nm). Based on specific F^? triggered desilylation reaction induced enhanced ICT strategy involving the donor phenolate anion and the acceptor malononitrile, the probe exhibited dual colorimetric and fluorescent turn-on responses, and provided excellent selectivity for fluoride ions. The fluorescent response at 665 nm displayed very good linear relationship in the wide concentration range and deduced a low detection limit of 0.09 ppm. The detection mechanism was confirmed by ¹H NMR, ESI-MS, and TLC calculation. Moreover, probe IS-NR-F has been successfully employed to detect F^? in tap water, toothpaste samples, and fluorescent imaging of F^? in HeLa cells.     

Nanowires as building blocks for self-assembling logic and memory circuits

The concept of assembling electronic circuits from metal nanowires is discussed. These nanowires are synthesised electrochemically by using porous membranes as templates. High aspect ratio wires, which range from 15 to 350 nm in diameter and contain "stripes" of different metals, semiconductors, colloid/polymer multilayers, and self-assembling monolayers have been made by this technique. By using the distinct surface chemistry of different stripes, the nanowires can be selectively derivatized and positioned on patterned surfaces. This allows the current-voltage properties of single and crossed nanowire devices to be measured. Nanowire conductors, rectifiers, switches, and photoconductors have been characterized. Techniques are still being developed for assembling sublithographic scale nanowires into cross-point arrays for memory and logic applications.     

Hetero-oligophenylene-based AIEE material as a multiple probe for biomolecules and metal ions to construct logic circuits: application in bioelectronics and chemionics

New hetero-oligophenylene derivative (2) was synthesized which exhibits aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in H(2)O/THF (80:20). The aggregates serve as a biological probe for three different proteins, that is bovine serum albumin (BSA), cytochrome?c, and lysozyme, and DNA in contrasting modes. Further, among 29 metal ions tested, the contrasting fluorescence behavior of aggregates of 2 is observed with only Pb(2+) and Pd(2+) ions. Multiple output logic circuits based upon the fluorescence behavior between BSA and cytochrome?c and between Pb(2+) and Pd(2+) ions are constructed.     

A parallel electromagnetic molecular logic gate

A theoretical study of transport through a three-terminal molecular ring in the presence of a magnetic field is presented. The physical principles necessary to achieve logic operations based on the Aharonov-Bohm effect are discussed. We show that a proper combination of a gate potential and a realistic magnetic field can be used to obtain parallel logic operations such as AND and AND+NOT.     

Deoxyribozyme-based ligase logic gates and their initial circuits

A complete set (YES, NOT, AND, and ANDNOT) of molecular scale logic gates based on ligase deoxyribozymes was constructed. The activity of these gates was visualized through the formation of cascades with downstream phosphodieseterase YES gates, which performed fluorogenic cleavage.     

A logic gate-based fluorogenic probe for Hg detection and its applications in cellular imaging

A new colorimetric and fluorogenic probe (RN₃) based on rhodamine-B has been successfully designed and synthesized. It displays a selective response to Hg²⁺ in the aqueous buffer solution over the other competing metals. Upon addition of Hg²⁺, the solution of RN₃ exhibits a ‘naked eye’ observable color change from colorless to red and an intensive fluorescence with about 105-fold enhancement. The changes in the color and fluorescence are ascribed to the ring-opening of spirolactam in rhodamine fluorophore, which is induced by a binding of the constructed receptor to Hg²⁺ with the association and dissociation constants of 0.22 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ and 25.2 μM, respectively. The Job's plot experiment determines a 1:1 binding stoichiometry between RN₃ and Hg²⁺. The resultant “turn-on” fluorescence in buffer solution, allows the application of a method to determine Hg²⁺ levels in the range of 4.0–15.0 μM, with the limit of detection (LOD) calculated at 60.7 nM (3σ/slope). In addition, the fluorescence ‘turn-off’ and color ‘fading-out’ happen to the mixture of RN₃-Hg²⁺ by further addition of I⁻ or S²⁻. The reversible switching cycles of fluorescence intensity upon alternate additions of Hg²⁺ and S²⁻ demonstrate that RN₃ can perform as an INHIBIT logic gate. Furthermore, the potential of RN₃ as a fluorescent probe has been demonstrated for cellular imaging.     

A bifunctional,colorimetric and fluorescent probe for recognition of Cu2+ and Hg2+ and its application in molecular logic gate

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A double-stranded molecular probe for homogeneous nucleic acid analysis

This paper reports the design and optimization of a double-stranded molecular probe for homogeneous detection of specific nucleotide sequences. The probes are labeled with either a fluorophore or a quencher such that the probe hybridization brings the two labels into close proximity, and this diminishes the fluorescence signal in the absence of a target. In the presence of a target, the fluorophore probe is thermodynamically driven to unzip from its hybridized form and bind with the target. An equilibrium analysis, which successfully describes all the major features of the assay without any fitting parameter, is performed to generalize the design of the probe. Several key parameters affecting the performance of the assay are examined. We show that the dynamic range and the signal-to-noise ratio of the assay can be optimized by the probe concentration, the quencher-to-fluorophore ratio, and the probe strand sequence. By proper design of the sequence, the probe discriminates single nucleotide mismatches in a single step without any separation step or measurement of melting profile.     

Effective PET and ICT switching of boradiazaindacene emission: a unimolecular, emission-mode, molecular half-subtractor with reconfigurable logic gates

[reaction, structure: see text] We report a unimolecular system functioning as a combinatorial logic circuit for half-subtractor. The emission characteristics can be modulated by chemical inputs, and when followed at two different wavelengths, two functionally integrated logic gates XOR and INHIBIT are obtained. Both logic gates function in the emission mode, and with very large differences in the signal intensity allowing unequivocal assignment of logic-0 and logic-1.     

A potential and ion switched molecular photonic logic gate

A molecular photonic logic gate is demonstrated by integrating electrical (potential) and chemical (ionic) switching functions into molecules attached at an externally addressable semiconductor substrate.     

Calix[4]arene based molecular probe for sensing copper ions

A novel calix[4]arene based molecular probe for metal ions has been designed, synthesized and evaluated. Studies on its binding with different metal ions reveal a noticeable naked eye color change, bathochromic shift in absorption spectrum and remarkable enhancement in fluorescence emission in the presence of Cu²⁺ only. The role of calix[4]arene scaffold for selective recognition of Cu²⁺ has been demonstrated by repeat evaluation and analysis of an appropriate reference molecule. A rational explanation for fluorescence enhancement in 3 on interaction with copper has been suggested.     

Orthogonal addressable monolayers for integrating molecular logic

Plug and play: The mimicking of integrated circuits by using two individual monolayers (molecular chips) is shown. These monolayers can be individually addressed using identical inputs. Upon combination of their optical outputs, the input/output characteristics of a molecular encoder is obtained. Since the encoder functionality is only displayed when both chips are active, the device behaves according to a plug-and-play principle (In=input; see picture).     

A highly selective chemosensor for copper ion based on ICT fluorescence

Simple structural compounds 1 to 3 were synthesized.The presence of Cu²⁺ resulted in the fluorescence and absorption spectra change of 1 and 2,which indicated that 1 and 2 showed a highly selective response to Cu²⁺ over other metal ions.However,3 showed no selectivity for metal ions,which means that the compound could bind with several metal ions,such as,Ni²⁺,Zn²⁺,Cd²⁺.Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺,Fe³⁺,Mg²⁺,Ca²⁺,and Co²⁺,except Cu²⁺ and Ag⁺.The different spectral responses were attributed to the difference in binding sites for 1 and 3.     

A molecular probe for the optical detection of biogenic amines

A coumarin derivative was employed for the detection of biogenic amines in buffered aqueous solution by UV-Vis or fluorescence spectroscopy. Incorporated in a polymeric matrix, the dye can also be used for the optical detection of gaseous amines.