Intracellular Zn(ii) induced turn-on fluorescence of an l-phenylalanine-derived pseudopeptide

A C-2 symmetric l-phenylalanine-derived pseudopeptide has been synthesized for selective and sensitive recognition of Zn(ii) ions in aqueous-organic media. The pseudopeptidic probes exhibit intracellular Zn(ii) ion-sensing capabilities as demonstrated via live-cell fluorescence studies on RAW264.7 cells. Hence, we present a bioinspired pseudopeptide for potential biological applications involving intracellular Zn(ii) ion detection.

Automated summary

A C-2 symmetric l-phenylalanine-derived pseudopeptide has been synthesized for selective and sensitive recognition of Zn(ii) ions in aqueous-organic media. The pseudopeptidic probes exhibit intracellular Zn(ii) ion-sensing capabilities as demonstrated via live-cell fluorescence studies on RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, this study presents a bioinspired pseudopeptide for potential biological applications involving intracellular Zn(ii) ion detection.