Organic-Dye-Modified Upconversion Nanoparticle as a Multichannel Probe To Detect Cu²⁺ in Living Cells

Abstract

The development of an inorganic-organic hybrid probe to more accurately detect ions in living systems is very challenging but highly desirable. Here we combined upconversion nanoparticles with the electrically active ferrocene group to detect Cu in living cells. The as-prepared probe displays three different signal changes in absorption, emission, and electrochemical behavior, respectively, during Cu ion detection. Moreover, this new probe has been demonstrated to show high stability and adaptability. In addition, bioimaging testing reveals that this probe is suitable for detecting and visualizing Cu in A549 cells with low cytotoxicity.

Branched Ligand Ethyl 2‐Mercaptopropionate as a Stabilizer for CdTe Quantum Dots and its use as a Cu2+ Ions Probe in Aqueous Medium

“…Various reports are available, on detection of Cu 2+ by exploiting the photoluminescence (PL) behaviour of several moieties such as simple organic molecules, semiconductor based quantum dots (QDs), metal organic frameworks etc. . For example, a fluorescence turn‐off detection of Cu 2+ in river water was demonstrated using blue emitting branched poly(ethylenimine) (BPEI)‐functionalized carbon quantum dots (CQDs) .…”

A Carbon‐Dot‐Based Fluorescent Probe for the Sensitive and Selective Detection of Copper(II) Ions

“…Among them, copper ion (Cu 2+ ) is one of the heavy metal ions. Excessive Cu 2+ accumulation in living organism may cause headaches, stomach pain, dizziness, vomiting and so on . Therefore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has set the safety limit of copper ions in drinking water at 1.3 ppm (i. e. 20 μM) ,.…”

Rhodamine B derivatives-modified upconversion nanoparticles as a fluorescent turn-off–on sensor for the highly sensitive detection of Cu2+ and pyrophosphate

“…Recently, several rhodamine B derivatives RBH-modied UCNP sensors have been reported to detect Cu 2+ ions. [13][14][15] However, there are very few reports on the use of UCNPs to detect PPi. Wang et al reported that branched polyethyleneimine (PEI)capped NaGdF 4 :Yb/Tm UCNPs can be used as a uorescence probe for the sequential detection of Cu 2+ and pyrophosphate (P 2 O 7 4À , PPi).…”

“…In contrast, the response of RBP to the copper is very different from the Al 3+ , the strong UV-Vis absorbance will appear when Cu 2+ was added to RBP solution due to the paramagnetism of copper ions, but the uorescence response to Cu 2+ is weak, which shows that RBP has higher responding speed and intensity of UV-Vis absorbance than the traditional probe RBH to detect Cu 2+ . [13][14][15] In this study, we aimed to achieve efficient FRET (uorescence resonance energy transfer) and IFE (internal lter effect) from UCNPs to RBP, which was expected to have strong UV-Vis absorbance response. Hence, RBP was selected as a chromophore to modify UCNPs owing to its strong UV-Vis absorbance response towards Cu 2+ .…”