NIR fluorescent sensors for blood pH and fructose

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Blood serum parameters are tightly associated with human beings' physiological activities, therefore the real-time monitoring of blood serum parameters attacks great attention. Many fluorescent sensors exist to measure such parameters, but most would be readily exclude from serum. A novel NIR fluorescent pH sensor was designed and synthesized to test the sensor system in the serum. This NIR- pH sensor was trapped inside RBCs to characterize its response and the result shows the RBC trapped NIR-pH sensor behaves similar as in the free conditions. Based on the NIR fluorophore, a series of novel NIR fluorescent fructose were also designed and synthesized. By using different linkers, these NIR fluorescent sensors showed different binding affinities and fluorescence increase. It appeared the rigid linker had the highest binding affinity and the lowest fluorescence increase upon binding with the fructose. These NIR fluorescence fructose sensors would be used as the reference for the future glucose design.