Re(I) carbonyl complexes: Multimodal platforms for inorganic chemical biology

Bio-imaging, by enabling the visualization of biomolecules of interest, has proved to be highly informative in the study of biological processes. Although fluorescence microscopy is probably one of the most used techniques, alternative methods of imaging, providing complementary information, are emerging. In this context, metal complexes represent valuable platforms for multimodal imaging, since they may combine interesting spectroscopic features and biologically relevant functionalization on a single molecular core. In particular, d(6) low-spin rhenium tri-carbonyl complexes display unique luminescence and vibrational properties, and can be readily functionalized. Here we review their applications and potential as probes or drugs relying on their photophysical properties, before focusing on their use as multimodal probes for the labelling and imaging of peptides and proteins. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.