Fluorescent Probes for Carbon Monoxide Imaging in Biological Systems
Summary
Carbon monoxide (CO) has emerged as an essential gaseous signalling molecule with roles in vasodilation, neurotransmission and anti-inflammatory pathways. Precise mapping of endogenous CO in cells and tissues requires fluorescent probes that combine high sensitivity, selectivity and biocompatibility. Design strategies often exploit the reducing power of CO to trigger a ‘turn-on’ fluorescence response or employ metal-mediated decaging reactions to release a fluorophore. Advances in two-photon excitation and near-infrared emission have extended imaging depth and minimised phototoxicity, while integration of environment-sensitive dyes enables simultaneous monitoring of viscosity or pH. Recent efforts focus on water-soluble scaffolds, minimal background interference and real-time in situ detection, paving the way for applications ranging from inflammation models to tumour microenvironment studies.
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Fluorescent Probes for Carbon Monoxide Imaging in Biological Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent probes for carbon monoxide imaging in biological systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fluorescent probe: A molecule designed to emit light upon interaction with a specific analyte, enabling optical detection and imaging.
Turn-on probe: A latent fluorophore that becomes highly emissive only after reacting with the target species, reducing background signal.
Two-photon excitation: A nonlinear optical process in which a fluorophore absorbs two low-energy photons simultaneously, allowing deep-tissue imaging with minimal scattering.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM): An imaging technique that maps the decay time of fluorescence at each pixel, providing information on local environment and probe dynamics.
Decaging reaction: A chemical transformation in which a protective group is removed by the target analyte (e.g., CO), liberating the active fluorophore.
References
- A Review for In Vitro and In Vivo Detection and Imaging of Gaseous Signal Molecule Carbon Monoxide by Fluorescent Probes. Molecules (2022).
- Ex Vivo Tracking of Endogenous CO with a Ruthenium(II) Complex. Journal of the American Chemical Society (2017).
- Simultaneous Detection of Carbon Monoxide and Viscosity Changes in Cells. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2020).
- A Turn-On Quinazolinone-Based Fluorescence Probe for Selective Detection of Carbon Monoxide. Molecules (2023).
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