Efficient and selective singlet oxygen sensitized NIR luminescence of a neodymium(III) complex and its application in biological imaging

A responsive neodymium NIR emission (F-4(3/2) -> I-4(11/2), (9/2)) was recorded upon binding with singlet oxygen (K-B=1.79 x 10(6) M-1) via the anthracene moiety. The motif ytterbium analog served as a negative control with no significant NIR enhancement/quenching with the addition of the same amount of singlet oxygen. Our complex was also found to react with O-1(2) generated by a known photosensitizer TMPyP inside HeLa cells without inducing cell death and display no significant cytotoxicity. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.