Turkish Journal of Chemistry, Vol.35, No.3, 475-479, 2011
A near-infrared fluorescent sensor for H+ in aqueous solution and living cells
A heptamethine cyanine-based sensor ( 1) was designed and synthesized by incorporating heptamethine cyanine fluorophore and methylpiperazine. Sensor 1 exhibited good response to the change of pH levels, and a large Stokes shift (> 100 nm) was obtained. Fluorescent image experiments in living cells further demonstrated its potential applications in biological systems.