Green-emissive molecular marker with a TRIS-scaffold for fluorescence imaging of Zn2+ in biological systems

•The probe L2 is Zn2+-specific and cell permeable.•Imaging of intracellular zinc (in vitro studies).•Real-time in vivo imaging of zinc in a whole plant Peperomia pellucida.•Detection and localization of zinc in Gram seed sprouts (in vivo studies).•L2 can detect zinc in nanomolar range (20 nM).

Three TRIS-based molecular probes, L1/L2/L3, were screened for their ability to detect Zn2+ at nanomolar level. Keeping in mind the criteria for a molecular probe to be utilized as bioimaging material, L2 was chosen as model compound for biological studies due to its higher excitation/emission wavelengths. While investigating the potential of L2, intracellular Zn2+ was successfully imaged using fluorescence microscopy. As the fluorescence emission of L2-Zn2+ ensemble was stable for longer duration, more than 3 h, L2 was successfully utilized in in vivo imaging of Zn2+ in a whole plant (Peperomia pellucida) in real-time. Further to its in vivo imaging capability, L2 was found to be successful in imaging zinc pool of gram seed sprouts.

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