The development of organelle-specific phosphorescent multiphoton probes is a rapidly growing area in biomedical imaging. Phosphorescent properties allow spectral or time-resolved discrimination from autofluorescence, while the use of two-photon microscopy provides higher spatial resolution as well as deeper penetration into the sample compared to conventional microscopies. The main challenge in this area is the design of probes that combine a complex of desired properties. Here we present investigation of the phosphorescent homoleptic alkynyl gold(I) cluster, (AuC2R)10 (R − 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol), which combines nonlinear optical properties with selectivity to lipid droplets of adipocytes and other cells. This label reveals high two-photon absorption and emission cross-sections in hexane, good solubility in triglycerides (vegetable oil) and microsecond lifetimes both in solution and in biological tissues. These features make it a promising probe for multiphoton bioimaging as demonstrated by successful visualization of various adipose tissues (subcutaneous fat, visceral adipose tissue, adipose tissue of mesentery) of different animals (pigeon, chicken, mouse) as well as lipid droplets in Hep G2 cells. The complex demonstrates high selectivity to lipid droplets in animal tissues and cells. The probe lifetimes in microsecond domain made possible its visualization using phosphorescent lifetime imaging (PLIM) techniques.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)122-130
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
Volume332
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • Polynuclear gold-alkynyl cluster, Lipophilic probe, phosphorescence, Adipocyte, Two-photon microscopy, PLIM

ID: 35823718