Lanthanide complexes with acetophenone-based push-pull antennas as efficient MRI and two-photon microscopy imaging probes
Lanthanide(iii) (Ln<sup>3+</sup>) complexes possess unique magnetic and optical properties that make them ideal candidates for the development of multimodal MRI and optical probes. However, the requirements for developing effective MRI and optical probes are difficult to meet within a single ligand. Here, we propose the use of a DOTA-type ligand equipped with a π-extended acetophenone moiety that (i) serves as a coordinating moiety to form stable Ln<sup>3+</sup> complexes, (ii) acts as a 2P-excitable push-pull antenna to sensitize Eu<sup>3+</sup> luminescence, and (iii) displays a carboxylate handle offering high water solubility and enabling conjugation to biomolecules for targeting purposes. We show that the Ln<sup>3+</sup> complexes obtained are kinetically inert and thermodynamically stable. The Gd<sup>3+</sup> complex exhibits positive <i>in vivo</i> characteristics with good contrast in all organs and rapid renal clearance, while the corresponding Eu<sup>3+</sup> complex has excellent one-photon and two-photon (2P) absorption properties enabling high-quality <i>in vivo</i> 2P microscopy imaging of zebrafish embryos or <i>in vitro</i> imaging of living cells when conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide.
Authors
- Alexeï Grichine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7335-9706)
- Guillaume Micouin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1229-1071)
- Luke A. Marchetti
- Didier Boturyn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2530-0299)
- Sandra Même (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3765-0889)
- Célia S. Bonnet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0228-8098)
- Olivier Sénèque (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0633-5528)
- Sule Erbek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4427-0841)
- Véronique Martel‐Frachet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6739-7901)
- Lamiaa M. A. Ali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1176-5335)
- Magali Gary‐Bobo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9641-212X)
- Ákos Bányász (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2412-3019)
- Olivier Maury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4639-643X)
- Dina Akl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0611-1654)
- Baptiste Chartier
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (FR)
- École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Inserm (FR)
- École Pratique des Hautes Études (FR)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (FR)
- CEA Grenoble (FR)
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (FR)
- Laboratoire de Chimie (FR)
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (FR)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chemical Science
- Published
- 2025-12-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sc06902e
- Primary Topic
- Lanthanide and Transition Metal Complexes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- LABoratoires d’EXcellence ARCANE
- Infrastructures en Biologie Santé et Agronomie
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique