Enhancing the Stokes' shift of BODIPY dyes via through-bond energy transfer and its application for Fe(3+)-detection in live cell imaging.

Two energy transfer cassettes that exhibit a large pseudo Stokes' shift (up to 400 nm) due to efficient through-bond energy transfer (up to 99%) have been constructed. Selective binding of Fe(III) with the donor entity significantly suppresses the excitation energy transfer resulting in fluorescence quenching in aqueous solution and in living cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012