Ratiometric fluorescent probes for detection of intracellular singlet oxygen

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ol401421r

We have developed a series of molecular probes for the fluorescent detection of singlet dioxygen (¹O₂). The probes, based on asymmetrically substituted 1,3-diarylisobenzofurans, undergo the [2 + 4] cycloaddition reaction with ¹O₂, producing ratiometric fluorescent responses. Two-photon fluorescence microscope experiments demonstrated the biological utility of the probes for the visualization of endogenous ¹O₂ in macrophage cells.