Tuning macrocycles to design ‘turn-on’ fluorescence probes for manganese(ii) sensing in live cells†
Abstract
We tune the coordination environment of macrocyclic ligands to design two novel fluorescence sensors for Mn2+. The BODIPY-based Mn2+ sensor M1 affords an excellent, 52 fold, fluorescence ‘turn-on’ response despite the paramagnetic nature of Mn2+. The lipophilic probe is cell-permeable and confocal imaging demonstrates that the sensor distinctly detects Mn2+ within live cells.