In 2019,Molecules included an article by Fang, Mingxi; Xia, Shuai; Bi, Jianheng; Wigstrom, Travis P.; Valenzano, Loredana; Wang, Jianbo; Tanasova, Marina; Luck, Rudy L.; Liu, Haiying. Electric Literature of C12H13N3. The article was titled 《Detecting Zn(II) ions in live cells with near-infrared fluorescent probes》. The information in the text is summarized as follows:
Two near-IR fluorescent probes (A and B) containing hemicyanine structures appended to dipicolylamine (DPA), and a dipicolylamine derivative where one pyridine was substituted with pyrazine, resp., were synthesized and tested for the identification of Zn(II) ions in live cells. In both probes, an acetyl group is attached to the phenolic oxygen atom of the hemicyanine platform to decrease the probe fluorescence background. Probe A displays sensitive fluorescence responses and binds preferentially to Zn(II) ions over other metal ions such as Cd2+ ions with a low detection limit of 0.45 nM. In contrast, the emission spectra of probe B is not significantly affected if Zn(II) ions are added. Probe A possesses excellent membrane permeability and low cytotoxicity, allowing for sensitive imaging of both exogenously supplemented Zn(II) ions in live cells, and endogenously releases Zn(II) ions in cells after treatment of 2,2-dithiodipyridine. In the experiment, the researchers used many compounds, for example, Bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine(cas: 1539-42-0Electric Literature of C12H13N3)
Bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine(cas: 1539-42-0) is a secondary amine with two picolyl substituents. As a tridentate ligand this compound provides three nitrogen donors that affords good selectivity for Zn2+ over biologically relevant metals such as Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+, and leaves coordination sites free for anion binding. Electric Literature of C12H13N3