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

doi:10.3390/inorganics6010020

Inorganics (Jan 2018)

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

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics6010020
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 6, no. 1
p. 20

Abstract

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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.

Published in Inorganics

ISSN: 2304-6740 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Inorganic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/Inorganics

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