A new zinc(II) fluorophore 2-(9-anthrylmethylamino)ethyl-appended 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane.

A new 2-(9-anthrylmethylamino)ethyl-appended cyclen, L(3) (1-(2-(9-anthrylmethylamino)ethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) (cyclen = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane), was synthesized and characterized for a new Zn(2+) chelation-enhanced fluorophore, in comparison with previously reported 9-anthrylmethylcyclen L(1) (1-(9-anthrylmethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) and dansylamide cyclen L(2). L(3) showed protonation constants log K(a)(i)() of 10.57 +/- 0.02, 9.10 +/- 0.02, 7.15 +/- 0.02, <2, and <2. The log K(a3) value of 7.15 was assigned to the pendant 2-(9-anthrylmethylamino)ethyl on the basis of the pH-dependent (1)H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. The potentiometric pH titration study indicated extremely stable 1:1 Zn(2+)-L(3) complexation with a stability constant log K(s)(ZnL(3)) (where K(s)(ZnL(3)) = [ZnL(3)]/[Zn(2+)][L(3)] (M(-)(1))) of 17.6 at 25 degrees C with I = 0.1 (NaNO(3)), which is translated into the much smaller apparent dissociation constant K(d) (=[Zn(2+)](free)[L(3)](free)/[ZnL(3)]) of 2 x 10(-)(11) M with respect to 5 x 10(-)(8) M for L(1) at pH 7.4. The quantum yield (Phi = 0.14) in the fluorescent emission of L(3) increased to Phi = 0.44 upon complexation with zinc(II) ion at pH 7.4 (excitation at 368 nm). The fluorescence of 5 microM L(3) at pH 7.4 linearly increased with a 0.1-5 microM concentration of zinc(II). By comparison, the fluorescent emission of the free ligand L(1) decreased upon binding to Zn(2+) (from Phi = 0.27 to Phi = 0.19) at pH 7.4 (excitation at 368 nm). The Zn(2+) complexation with L(3) occurred more rapidly (the second-order rate constant k(2) is 4.6 x 10(2) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)) at pH 7.4 than that with L(1) (k(2) = 5.6 x 10 M(-)(1) s(-)(1)) and L(2) (k(2) = 1.4 x 10(2) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)). With an additionally inserted ethylamine in the pendant group, the macrocyclic ligand L(3) is a more effective and practical zinc(II) fluorophore than L(1).