Reversible and Sensitive Hg Detection by a Cell-Permeable Ytterbium Complex.

A cell-permeable ytterbium complex shows reversible binding with Hg in aqueous solution and in vitroby off-on visible and NIR emission. The fast response and 150 nM sensitivity of Hg detection is based upon FRET and the lanthanide antenna effect. The reversible Hg detection can be performed in vitro, and the binding mechanism is suggested by NMR employing the motif structure in a La complex and by DFT calculations.

A luminescent lanthanide approach towards direct visualization of primary cilia in living cells.

We report a direct imaging tool, HGEu001, for primary cilia in living cells, which is specific, and based on the UV light or near infrared laser (via two-photon excitation) induced long-lived europium luminescence.