Fluorescence intensity and lifetime-based cyanide sensitive probes for physiological safeguard

We characterize six new fluorescent probes that show both intensity and lifetime changes in the presence of free uncomplexed aqueous cyanide, allowing for fluorescence based cyanide sensing up to physiological safeguard levels, i.e. <30 μM. One of the probes, m-BMQBA, shows a ≈15-fold reduction in intensity and a ≈10% change in mean lifetime at this level.The response of the new probes is based on their ability to bind the cyanide anion through a boronic acid functional group, changing from the neutral form of the boronic acid group R-B(OH)₂ to the anionic R-B⁻(CN)₃ form, a new cyanide binding mechanism which we have recently reported. The presence of an electron deficient quaternary heterocyclic nitrogen nucleus, and the electron rich cyanide bound form, provides for the intensity changes observed. We have determined the disassociation constants of the probes to be in the range ≈15-84 μM³. In addition we have synthesized control compounds which do not contain the boronic acid moiety, allowing for a rationale of the cyanide responses between the probe isomers to be made.The lifetime of the cyanide bound probes are significantly shorter than the free R-B(OH)₂ probe forms, providing for the opportunity of lifetime based cyanide sensing up to physiologically lethal levels.Finally, while fluorescent probes containing the boronic acid moiety have earned a well-deserved reputation for monosaccharide sensing, we show that strong bases such as CN⁻ and OH⁻ preferentially bind as compared to glucose, enabling the potential use of these probes for cyanide safeguard and determination in physiological fluids, especially given that physiologies do not experience any notable changes in pH.