Chemosensing of Guanosine Triphosphate Based on a Fluorescent Dinuclear Zn(II)-Dipicolylamine Complex in Water.

Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) is a key biomarker of multiple cellular processes and human diseases. The new fluorescent dinuclear complex [Zn(L)(S)][OTf], (asymmetric ligand, L = 5,8-Bis{[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino] methyl}quinoline, S = solvent, and OTf = triflate anion) was synthesized and studied in-depth as a chemosensor for nucleoside polyphosphates and inorganic anions in pure water. Additions at neutral pH of nucleoside triphosphates, guanosine diphosphate, guanosine monophosphate, and pyrophosphate (PPi) to quench its blue emission (λ = 410 nm) with a pronounced selectivity toward GTP over other anions, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP), uridine triphosphate (UTP), and cytidine triphosphate (CTP). The efficient quenching response by the addition of GTP was observed in the presence of coexisting species in blood plasma and urine with a detection limit of 9.2 μmol L. GTP also shows much tighter binding to the receptor on a micromolar level. On the basis of multiple spectroscopic tools (H, P NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescence) and DFT calculations, the binding mode is proposed through three-point recognition involving the simultaneous coordination of the N atom of the guanosine motif and two phosphate groups to the two Zn(II) atoms. Spectroscopic studies, MS-ESI, and DFT suggested that GTP bound to in 1:1 and 2:2 models with high overall binding constants of log β = 6.05 ± 0.01 and log β = 10.91 ± 0.03, respectively. The optical change and selectivity are attributed to the efficient binding of GTP to by the combination of a strong electrostatic contribution and synergic effects of coordination bonds. Such GTP selectivity of an asymmetric metal-based receptor in water is still rare.