Christine Goze

Slow and Fast Singlet Energy Transfers in BODIPY-gallium(III)corrole Dyads Linked by Flexible Chains

Red (no styryl), green (monostyryl), and blue (distyryl) BODIPY-gallium(III) (BODIPY = boron-dipyrromethene) corrole dyads have been prepared in high yields using click chemistry, and their photophysical properties are reported. An original and efficient control of the direction of the singlet energy transfers is reported, going either from BODIPY to the gallium-corrole units or from gallium-corroles to BODIPY, depending upon the nature of the substitution on BODIPY. In one case (green), both directions are possible. The mechanism for the energy transfers is interpreted by means of through-space Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).

Synthesis and photodynamics of fluorescent blue BODIPY-porphyrin tweezers linked by triazole rings.

Novel zinc porphyrin tweezers in which two zinc porphyrins were connected with π-conjugated boron dipyrromethenes (BDP meso-Por(2) and BDP β-Por(2)) through triazole rings were synthesized to investigate the photoinduced energy transfer and electron transfer. The UV-vis spectrum of BDP β-Por(2) which has less bulky substituents than BDP meso-Por(2) exhibits splitting of the Soret band as a result of the interaction between porphyrins of BDP β-Por(2) in the excited state. Such interaction between porphyrins of both BDP β-Por(2) and BDP meso-Por(2) is dominant at room temperature, while the coordination of the nitrogen atoms of the triazole rings to the zinc ions of the porphyrins occurs at low temperature. The conformational change of the BDP-porphyrin composites was confirmed by the changes in UV-vis and fluorescence spectra depending on temperature. Photodynamics of BDP meso-Por(2) and BDP β-Por(2) has also been investigated by laser flash photolysis. Efficient singlet-singlet energy transfer from the ZnP to the π-conjugated BDP moiety of both BDP meso-Por(2) and BDP β-Por(2) occurred in opposite direction as compared to energy transfer from conventional BDP to ZnP due to the π-conjugation in nonpolar toluene. In polar benzonitrile, however, additional electron transfer occurred along with energy transfer.

B,B-Diporphyrinbenzyloxy-BODIPY Dyes: Synthesis and Antenna Effect

B,B-Diporphyrinbenzyloxy-BODIPY derivatives have been prepared in high yields, and the photophysical properties are reported. Singlet energy transfers from BODIPY to the porphyrin units have been analyzed.

DOTAGA-anhydride: a valuable building block for the preparation of DOTA-like chelating agents.

A DOTA derivative that contains an anhydride group was readily synthesized by reacting DOTAGA with acetic anhydride and its reactivity was investigated. Opening the anhydride with propylamine led to the selective formation of one of two possible regioisomers. The structure of the obtained isomer was unambiguously determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments, including COSY, HMBC, and NOESY techniques. This bifunctional chelating agent offers a convenient and attractive approach for labeling biomolecules and, more generally, for the synthesis of a large range of DOTA derivatives. The scope of the reaction was extended to prepare DOTA-like compounds that contained various functional groups, such as isothiocyanate, thiol, ester, and amino acid moieties. This versatile building block was also used for the synthesis of a bimodal tag for SPECT or PET/optical imaging.

Synthesis and photophysics of ruthenium(II) complexes with multiple pyrenylethynylene subunits

We describe the synthesis and photophysical properties of new Ru(II) complexes bearing different numbers of pyrenylethynylene substituents in either the 5 or 5,5′ positions of 2,2′-bipyridine. Static and dynamic absorption and luminescence measurements reveal the nature of the lowest excited states in each molecule. The 5-substituted complexes display behavior dominated by triplet intraligand π,π* excited states, generating long-lived room temperature phosphorescence in the red. While the photophysical properties in the 5,5′-substituted case are still largely influenced by triplet intraligand π,π* excited states, the data suggest the possibility of an excited state manifold composed of “mixed” intraligand and charge transfer character.

Anticancer Agents: Does a Phosphonium Behave Like a Gold(I) Phosphine Complex? Let a “Smart” Probe Answer!

Gold phosphine complexes, such as auranofin, have been recognized for decades as antirheumatic agents. Clinical trials are now underway to validate their use in anticancer or anti-HIV treatments. However, their mechanisms of action remain unclear. A challenging question is whether the gold phosphine complex is a prodrug that is administered in an inactive precursor form or rather that the gold atom remains attached to the phosphine ligand during treatment. In this study, we present two novel gold complexes, which we compared to auranofin and to their phosphonium analogue. The chosen ligand is a phosphine-based smart probe, whose strong fluorescence depends on the presence of the gold atom. The in vitro biological action of the gold complexes and the phosphonium derivative were investigated, and a preliminary in vivo study in healthy zebrafish larvae allowed us to evaluate gold complex biodistribution and toxicity. The different analyses carried out showed that these gold complexes were stable and behaved differently from phosphonium and auranofin, both in vitro and in vivo. Two-photon microscopy experiments demonstrated that the cellular targets of these gold complexes are not the same as those of the phosphonium analogue. Moreover, despite similar IC50 values in some cancer cell lines, gold complexes displayed a low toxicity in vivo, in contrast to the phosphonium salt. They are therefore suitable for future in vivo investigations.

DMAP‐BODIPY Alkynes: A Convenient Tool for Labeling Biomolecules for Bimodal PET–Optical Imaging

Several new boron dipyrromethene/N,N-dimethylaminopyridine (BODIPY-DMAP) assemblies were synthesized as precursors for bimodal imaging probes (optical imaging, OI/positron emission tomography, PET). The photophysical properties of the new compounds were also studied. The first proof-of-concept was obtained with the preparation of several new BODIPY-labeled bombesins and evaluation of the affinity for bombesin receptors by using a competition binding assay. Fluorination reactions were investigated on DMAP-BODIPY precursors as well as on DMAP-BODIPY-labeled bombesins. Chemical modifications on the BODIPY core were also performed to obtain luminescent dyes emitting in the therapeutic window (650-900 nm), suitable for in vivo imaging, making these compounds promising precursors for PET/optical dual-modality imaging agents.

Dual labeling of lipopolysaccharides for SPECT-CT imaging and fluorescence microscopy.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or endotoxins are amphipathic, pro-inflammatory components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. In the host, LPS can trigger a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. To bring insight into in vivo tissue distribution and cellular uptake of LPS, dual labeling was performed with a bimodal molecular probe designed for fluorescence and nuclear imaging. LPS were labeled with DOTA-Bodipy-NCS, and pro-inflammatory properties were controlled after each labeling step. LPS were then radiolabeled with (111)In and subsequently injected intravenously into wild-type, C57B16 mice, and their in vivo behavior was followed by single photon emission computed tomography coupled with X-ray computed tomography (SPECT-CT) and fluorescence microscopy. Time course of liver uptake of radiolabeled LPS ((111)In-DOTA-Bodipy-LPS) was visualized over a 24-h period in the whole animal by SPECT-CT. In complementary histological analyses with fluorescent microscopy, the bulk of injected (111)In-DOTA-Bodipy-LPS was found to localize early within the liver. Serum kinetics of unlabeled and DOTA-Bodipy-labeled LPS in mouse plasma were similar as ascertained by direct quantitation of β-hydroxymyristate, and DOTA-Bodipy-LPS was found to retain the potent, pro-inflammatory property of the unlabeled molecule as assessed by serum cytokine assays. It is concluded that the dual labeling process, involving the formation of covalent bonds between a DOTA-Bodipy-NCS probe and LPS molecules is relevant for imaging and kinetic analysis of LPS biodistribution, both in vivo and ex vivo. Data of the present study come in direct and visual support of a lipopolysaccharide transport through which pro-inflammatory LPS can be transported from the periphery to the liver for detoxification. The (111)In-DOTA-Bodipy-LPS probe arises here as a relevant tool to identify key components of LPS detoxification in vivo.

BODIPY: A Highly Versatile Platform for the Design of Bimodal Imaging Probes

In molecular imaging, multimodal imaging agents can provide complementary information, for improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis or enhancing patient management. In particular, optical/nuclear imaging may find important preclinical and clinical applications. To simplify the preparation of dual-labeled imaging agents, we prepared versatile monomolecular multimodal imaging probe (MOMIP) platforms containing both a fluorescent dye (BODIPY) and a metal chelator (polyazamacrocycle). One of the MOMIP was conjugated to a cyclopeptide (i.e., octreotide) and radiolabeled with (111) In. In vitro and in vivo studies of the resulting bioconjugate were conducted, highlighting the potential of these BODIPY-based bimodal probes. This work also confirmed that the biovector and/or the bimodal probes must be chosen carefully, due to the impact of the MOMIP on the overall properties of the resulting imaging agent.

Optical Method for Predicting the Composition of Self-Assembled Monolayers of Mixed Thiols on Surfaces Coated with Silver Nanoparticles

With a simple optical method, based on UV-vis absorption spectra on glass slides, it is possible to predict the composition of self-assembled monolayers of mixed thiols, grafted on monolayers of silver nanoparticles. Glass slides are modified with the layer-by-layer technique, first forming a monolayer of mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, then grafting a monolayer of silver nanoparticles on it. These surfaces are further coated by single or mixed thiol monolayers, by dipping the slides in toluene solutions of the chosen thiols. Exchange constants are calculated for the competitive deposition between the colorless 1-dodecanethiol or PEG5000 thiol and BDP-SH, with the latter being a thiol-bearing molecule containing the strongly absorbing BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) moiety, synthesized on purpose. The constants are calculated by determining the fraction of BDP-SH deposited on the surface from a solution with a given molar fraction, directly measuring the absorption spectra of BDP-SH on the slides. Then, the exchange constant for the competitive deposition between 1-dodecanethiol and PEG5000 thiol is calculated by combining their exchange constants with BDP-SH. This allows to predict the fraction of the two colorless thiols coating the silver nanoparticles slides obtained from a toluene solution with a given molar fraction, for example, of PEG5000 thiol. The correctness of the calculated surface fraction is verified by studying the coating competition between 1-dodecanethiol and a PEG5000 thiol remotely modified with a strongly absorbing fluorescein fragment.