Two pyrene dimers containing an -O-Si-Si-O- or -O-Si-O- linkage have been designed which exhibit ratiometric excimer/monomer emission upon fluoride anion induced Si-O bond cleavage. Incorporation of the probe into water soluble polymeric nanoparticles enhances its intracellular uptake and displays ratiometric fluorescent sensing for F(-) in living cells.

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A boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dye containing a styryl substituent with a hydroxyl and nitro group, 1a, exhibits a 'turn-on' fluorescence response for hypoxic cells. The presence of the electron-withdrawing nitro group results in a highly efficient nonradiative decay of the S1 state, and hence a recovery of fluorescence intensity when nitro reduction occurs under hypoxic conditions.

No abstract