Improved sensing of metal ions via abnormal enhancement of the anti-stokes emission of the near-infrared fluorescent probe

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. A, Chemistry. Chemistry., 2023-11, Vol.445, p.115104, Article 115104
• Main Authors: Dimitriev, Oleg, Harada, Yuya, Sharanov, Illia, Ishchenko, Alexander, Yoshida, Tsukasa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Stokes emission; Fluorescent probe; Metal cations; Sensing; Tricarbocyanine dye
• ISSN: 1010-6030
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2023.115104

[Display omitted] •Tricarbocyanine dye with 2,2′-dipicolylamine meso-group chelates Zn, Co, and Pd ions.•Increase of the anti-Stokes emission by order of magnitude when sensing Zn and Pd ions.•anti-Stokes emission probe can reveal additional features of the dye-metal complex not observed via the Stokes emission.•anti-Stokes emission probe provides much better sensitivity compared to the Stokes emission.•Threshold sensing of Zn2+ starts from the metal-to-dye ratio as small as 0.5:1. Sensing of toxic and heavy metals is of great importance for protecting environment and health monitoring. Here we demonstrate an improved fluorescent probe operating in the near-infrared (NIR). The probe represents a NIR tricarbocyanine dye with 2,2′-dipicolylamine meso-group which is able to chelate zinc, cobalt and palladium ions. We show that the probe operation via monitoring of the anti-Stokes photoluminescence provides much better sensitivity of the probe compared to its Stokes photoluminescence. Particularly, it is shown that the anti-Stokes photoluminescence increases by more than an order of magnitude and can reveal additional features of the dye-metal complex not observed via the Stokes emission.