Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based small-molecule sensors and imaging agents

Luling Wu,

^ab Chusen Huang,

*^ab Ben P. Emery,

^b Adam C. Sedgwick,

^c Steven D. Bull,

^b Xiao-Peng He,

^d He Tian,

*^d Juyoung Yoon,

*^e Jonathan L. Sessler

*^c and Tony D. James

*^ab

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a The Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and Shanghai Municipal Education Committee Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging Probes and Sensors, Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, Shanghai 200234, China
E-mail: huangcs@shnu.edu.cn

^b Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
E-mail: t.d.james@bath.ac.uk

^c Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th Street A5300, Austin, USA
E-mail: sessler@cm.utexas.edu

^d Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd., Shanghai 200237, China
E-mail: tianhe@ecust.edu.cn

^e Department of Chemistry and Nano Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750, Korea
E-mail: jyoon@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract

In this tutorial review, we will explore recent advances in the construction and application of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based small-molecule fluorescent probes. The advantages of FRET-based fluorescent probes include: a large Stokes shift, ratiometric sensing and dual/multi-analyte responsive systems. We discuss the underlying energy donor–acceptor dye combinations and emphasise their applications for the detection or imaging of cations, anions, small neutral molecules, biomacromolecules, cellular microenvionments and dual/multi-analyte responsive systems.