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Herein, we design a novel "crossbreeding" dye (BC-OH) within the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window based on BODIPY and chromene chromophores. BC-OH can serve as a platform to construct activatable NIR-II probes with small spectral crosstalk, thereby making a breakthrough in imaging in vivo H 2 O 2 fluctuation in an APAP-induced liver injury model with high signal-to-background ratio.

Herein, we developed a dual-channel and light-up near-infrared fluorescent probe for ratiometric sensing of β-galactosidase (β-gal) activity. The well-designed probe, which shows ratiometric optical response with a significant red-shift (from 575 nm to 730 nm), was successfully applied to detect endogenous β-gal activity in SKOV-3 cells and tumor-bearing mice.

Development of fluorescent probes that can monitor foodstuff hazards is highly desirable. Herein we report the first example of an AIEgen probe (QM-TPA), conjugated by a quinoline-malononitrile (QM) scaffold and triphenylamine unit, for direct sensing of triacylglycerol polymers in frying oil, enabling a rapid probing, on-site analysis, and portable operation in food inspection applications.

A curcuminoid difluoroboron-based tumor-targeting GGT-activatable fluorescent probe (Glu-DFB-biotin) is designed, which has remarkable characteristics of dual-channel and light-up near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence. Furthermore, Glu-DFB-biotin can differentiate hepatic cancer cells from normal cells and is successfully employed for real-time tracking of endogenous GGT activity in living cells.

The real-time monitoring of nitric oxide (NO) at the subcellular level is still a great challenge. To attain this goal, we developed a fast and selective near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe for the targeted tracing of endogenous NO. This probe possesses vital features for the real-time detection of intracellular NO including a significant turn-on NIR response, high specificity, and a fast response by a controlled photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process, which is applicable to the real-time monitoring of endogenous NO in mitochondria.

Two novel probes were designed, sharing the same BODIPY core but differing only by a minimized variation in the recognition site from 4-hydroxyaniline into 4-methoxyaniline. Such a small change in the reaction site could switch the selective detection from peroxynitrite to HOCl. Undoubtedly, the new designed BODIPY core exhibits valuable properties.

A novel electrochemically and fluorescence active boronic ester sensor molecule has been developed containing ferrocene and naphthalimide as the redox and fluorophore units. The combinations of iron (Fe(3+)) ions, sodium L-ascorbate, and fluoride (F(-)) ions can be used to produce a molecular system displaying INHIBIT logic, due to indirect fluorescence quenching.

A ratiometric and colorimetric cyanine-based palladium sensor with an excellent selectivity and sensitivity has been designed. Notably, the modulation of π-conjugated electrons in cyanine dyes can result in a ratiometric fluorescence change with a large Stokes shift (270 nm), especially for realizing palladium detection in aqueous samples using indicator paper and in living cells by ratiometric mode. The limit of detection is as low as 0.3 ppb.

The design and development of new pyrene-based fluorescent probes, P-Hcy-1 and P-Hcy-2, which display selective fluorescence enhancements in response to homocysteine (Hcy), are described. The distinctly different fluorescence responses of P-Hcy-1 and P-Hcy-2 to Hcy vs. Cys are explained by theoretical calculations. Finally, the results of cell experiments show that these probes can be used to selectively detect Hcy in mammalian cells.

Dicyanomethylene-4H-pyran (DCM) chromophores are typical donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) type chromophores with a broad absorption band resulting from an ultra-fast internal charge-transfer (ICT) process. In 1989, Tang et al. firstly introduced a DCM derivative as a highly fluorescent dopant in organic electroluminescent diodes (OLEDs). Integration of ICT chromophore-receptor systems based on DCM chromophores with ion-induced shifts in absorption or emission is a convenient method to perform the logic expression for molecular logic gates. In recent years, various DCM-type derivatives have been explored due to their excellent optical-electronic properties and diverse structural modification. This feature article provides an insight into how the structural modification of DCM chromophores can be utilized for OLED emitters, logic gates and optical chemosensors. In addition, the aggregation-induced-emission (AIE) of DCM derivatives for further optical applications was also introduced.

A boronic acid moiety can bind to nucleophilic species, such as fluoride ions and 1,2-diols, and arylboronates are converted to the corresponding phenols by treatment with hydrogen peroxide. Based on these reactivity profiles of boron compounds, a variety of boronic acid and boronate-based fluorescent chemosensors have been developed for detecting biologically relevant species. This feature article highlights recent advances that have been made in the development of chemosensors of these types for monitoring carbohydrates, dopamine, fluorides, metal ions and hydrogen peroxide.

A novel fluorescent sensor DCAA-Cu(2+) was developed, showing turn-on fluorescence in NIR region with high selectivity to pyrophosphate anion in 100% aqueous solution., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

A new red fluorescent sensor DCCP-Cu2+ based on dicyanomethylene-4H-chromene shows turn-on fluorescence with high selectivity for pyrophosphate over other anions.