Design strategies for lab-on-a-molecule probes and orthogonal sensing

Abstract

This review highlights the currently exploited working concepts of lab-on-a-molecule probes, with a particular focus on what is required for multianalyte detection and quantification in competitive assays. Both, chemosensor and chemodosimeter approaches are considered. The multifaceted design strategies and the orthogonal protocols are evaluated in order to identify and categorise the successful conceptions and to single out unknown territory and challenges for future work.

The benzo[b]quinolizinium ion as a water-soluble platform for the fluorimetric detection of biologically relevant analytes

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] It should be stressed, however, that most reported examples, such as the ones stated above, employ the rather conventional approach that one probe can be used only for one particular analyte. But in real samples several different analytes have to be detected at the same time.…”

“…cations, anions, amino acids. 2 At the same time, probes that allow the optical detection of different types of analytes are rather rare. 134 Therefore, we focused our attention on the development of probes that enable the fluorimetric detection of targets from different classes of compounds.…”

“…It should be stressed that numerous other fluorescent dyes have been employed successfully for the development of chemosensors with remarkable properties. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] However, the overwhelming number of efficient and selective chemosensors, that have been explored and established during the past years, cannot be highlighted in this Account. With the intention to limit the extent of this Account to a reasonable size, a straight focus is kept on the class of benzo[b]quinolizinium ions.…”

“…2 The main principles of fluorescent sensing by organic chemosensors are well known and extensively described in recent reviews and monographs. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] In general, three different physical quantities may be determined from the emission of a molecule, namely emission energy, emission quantum yield and emission lifetime. 14,16 Therefore, essentially all fluorescent probes indicate a target analyte or a physical input (e.g.…”

“…The detection of analytes with fluorescent probes, also referred to as chemosensors, 1 is a useful and versatile technique in chemistry and biology as well as in their neighboring disciplines, [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] because it offers the advantages of fluorescence spectroscopy, e.g. high sensitivity and straightforward detection procedure, combined with the high potential of chemical synthesis to prepare a fluorophore with the required substitution pattern.…”