A Cyclometalated Ir Complex as a Lysosome-Targeted Photodynamic Therapeutic Agent for Integrated Imaging and Therapy in Cancer Cells.

Organelle-targeted photosensitizers (PSs) having luminescence properties are potential theranostic agents for simultaneous luminescence imaging and photodynamic therapy. Herein, we report a water-soluble luminescent cyclometalated Ir complex, Ir-Bp-Ly, as a lysosome-targeted theranostic probe. Ir-Bp-Ly exhibits exceptional photophysical properties, with good triplet-state quantum yield (0.

An Unsymmetrical Squaraine-Dye-Based Chemical Platform for Multiple Analyte Recognition.

The design of fluorescent molecular platforms capable of responding to multiple analytes is a topic of great interest. Herein, the use of a Zn -complexed unsymmetrical squaraine dye, Sq-Zn , as a chemical platform for recognizing structurally distinct analytes is reported. The squaraine ring is substituted on one side with a dipicolylamine unit, which acts as the metal ion receptor, whereas the other part of the molecule carries a dibutylaniline moiety, which is an electron donor.

A protein-dye hybrid system as a narrow range tunable intracellular pH sensor.

Accurate monitoring of pH variations inside cells is important for the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. Even though a variety of different pH sensors are available, construction of a custom-made sensor array for measuring minute variations in a narrow biological pH window, using easily available constituents, is a challenge. Here we report two-component hybrid sensors derived from a protein and organic dye nanoparticles whose sensitivity range can be tuned by choosing different ratios of the components, to monitor the minute pH variations in a given system.