Novel hydrophilic bis(1,2,3-triazolyl)fluorenyl probe for in vitro zinc ion sensing.

A hydrophilic bis(1,2,3-triazolyl)fluorene derivative was synthesized as a multi-photon-absorbing, zinc-ion-sensing fluorescent probe. The fluorescence response was approximately five-fold greater in presence of Zn(2+), resulting in a large binding constant (1 × 10(9)) for a 1:2 ligand to zinc complex. A four-fold increase in the two-photon absorption cross section was achieved upon binding Zn(2+). In vitro two-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging revealed a significant fluorescence increase upon introduction of Zn(2+) into HeLa cells and reversible Zn(2+) binding, demonstrating the potential of this probe for zinc ion sensing.