BODIPY-Based Ratiometric Fluoroionophores with Bidirectional Spectral Shifts for the Selective Recognition of Heavy Metal Ions

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Two novel asymmetric BODIPY fluoroionophores with dipicolylamine (BDP-DPA, dipicolylamine: bis(pyridylmethyl)) and terpyridine (BDP-TPY) are described. These fluoroionophores display opposite wavelength responses on complexation with heavy metal ions. Furthermore, the fluorescence spectra vary depending on the ionic species. In particular, BDP-DPA shows a high affinity toward Cr3+ and upon complexation, the fluorescence spectrum blue-shifts from 591 to 566 nm. In contrast, BDP-TPY preferentially binds to Zn2+ and the fluorescence spectra red-shifts from 539 to 567 nm. BDP-TPY is the first example of asymmetric BODIPY with a pyridyl receptor at the 3 position showing red-shifted fluorescence by complexation with metal ions. The concentration of each metal ion was successfully determined by ratiometric measurement. The wavelength-responses characteristics of these fluoroionophores could be very useful in the development of novel ratiometric fluoroionophores for metal ions.