A Cryptand-Type Aluminum Tris(salophen) Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cell Imaging Application
Hao-Yan Yin,
Jing Lai,
Juan Tang,
Yanli Shang,
Jun-Long Zhang
Affiliations
Hao-Yan Yin
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Jing Lai
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Juan Tang
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Yanli Shang
College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of Analytical Science and Technology of Hebei Province, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
Jun-Long Zhang
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Materials Chemistry and Applications, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Metal salen/salophen complexes have been used as fluorescent probes for cell imaging with various metal centers. Herein we synthesized cryptand-type aluminum salophen complexes LAl3 and the corresponding mononuclear compound LAl. X-ray crystal diffraction verifies the cryptand-type structure of LAl3 with C3h symmetry. Both LAl3 and LAl show moderate green fluorescence with quantum yields of 0.17 and 0.05, respectively. The hydrophilic and cationic nature of these aluminum salophen complexes renders them enhanced cellular uptake. Both complexes are internalized into cells by energy-dependent pathways and they distribute in lysosomal organelles.
