Phosphorescent ruthenium complexes with bromopyrene unit that enhance oxygen sensitivity.

Ruthenium complexes are very useful phosphorescent probes for the visualization of hypoxia. We designed and synthesized three ruthenium complexes possessing bromopyrene, naphthalene, or anthracene units to improve the oxygen response. These ruthenium complexes provided strong phosphorescence under hypoxic conditions, while an increase in oxygen concentration led to a decrease in phosphorescence intensity. Among the ruthenium complexes, that with a bromopyrene unit (Ru-BrPy) had the best properties. This showed good cellular uptake and bright emission in cells, and had the highest sensitivity for molecular oxygen. Thus, Ru-BrPy is a promising candidate as a molecular probe for detecting cellular hypoxia.