Ming-Yu Wu

A real-time colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for sulfite.

A real-time colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe based on modulating the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) of the coumarin platform for selective detection of sulfite is presented. This reaction based probe utilized the Michael addition to the dicyano-vinyl group with the detection limit of 5.8 × 10(-5) M. The probe displayed a high selectivity for sulfite over other anions and reactive sulfur especially for biothiols including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH), with about 100 nm blue shift and more than 230 times intensity ratios change of the emission spectrum. Meanwhile, it could be easily observed that the probe for sulfite changes from red to pale yellow by the naked eye, and from red to blue under UV lamp immediately after the sulfite is added. To the best of our knowledge, it is the fastest response probe for sulfite ever reported, which could give a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent response instantly.

Mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent probe for real time monitoring of pH in living cells

Pyridinium functioned 7-hydroxy coumarin was presented as the first mitochondria-targeted ratiometric fluorescent probe CP for real time monitoring pH in living cells. Compared with commercially available mitochondrial trackers, CP possesses high specificity to mitochondria in living cells as well as good biocompatibility. Meanwhile, CP displays excellent pH sensitivity and anti-interference capability. Confocal image experiments confirm that CP can monitor mitochondrial pH changes associated with the mitochondrial acidification, cellular apoptosis and stress response efficiently in real time.

A highly sensitive and selective “turn-on” fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid monitoring

A novel “turn-on” fluorescent probe 3 for monitoring hypochlorous acid was investigated, which showed high selectivity and sensitivity to hypochlorous acid over other ROS and was loaded into cell media to image HClO.

Catalyst-free and solvent-free Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to nitroalkenes by a grinding method

Summary An environmentally benign, fast and convenient protocol has been developed for the Michael addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to β-nitroalkenes in good to excellent yields by a grinding method under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions.

Visual detection of amino acids by supramolecular gel collapse

Three cholesterol-based low molecular weight gelators were synthesized, and their gelation abilities were investigated. These compounds formed gels in various organic solvents. Specifically, gel 1 formed by gelator 1 bearing proline as hydrophilic groups and cholesterol as a lipophilic group collapsed selectively in the presence of Asp and Glu.

A single design strategy for dual sensitive pH probe with a suitable range to map pH in living cells

Due to the lack of a proper imaging approach, a veracious pH map of normal and abnormal cell is still rare. In this work, we presented a rhodamine-salicylaldehyde combination (Rh-SA2) as a novel pH probe, which has dual sensitive units for both acidic and basic environment. This dual sensitive probe acts like a chameleon in living cells and offers the doubling guarantees for endocellular pH mapping. Moreover, a quantitative measurement of cellular pH changes was allowed and the endocellular pH values under drug-associated stimuli were also investigated.