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Rational Design of a Stable Two One‐Electron Redox‐Active closo ‐Dodecaalkoxyborane Ion as Biothiol Sensor
Author(s) -
Goswami Lalit N.,
Everett Thomas A.,
Khan Aslam A.,
Hawthorne M. Frederick
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201901136
Subject(s) - chemistry , boranes , borane , combinatorial chemistry , molecule , redox , boron , thiol , ion , rational design , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , materials science , catalysis
The interest in the incorporation of polyhedral boranes into hybrid molecules has increased tremendously. Most of those efforts have focused on the use of carboranes, as opposed to their all‐boron counterparts, the polyhedral borane anions. Our efforts have paved the way for the synthesis and application of several inorganic‐organic hybrid nanomolecular scaffolds derived from closo ‐dodecaborate ions [B 12 H 12 ] 2– as high payload carriers of drugs and imaging agents. Herein we report a significant expansion to the scope of application for these interesting class of molecules. A rationally designed water‐soluble ether derivative of [B 12 H 12 ] 2– , the [ closo ‐B 12 (OR) 12 ] 2– was synthesized as a highly efficient thiol sensing probe. The thiol sensing mechanism of the probe relies upon the unique two 1‐e – redox chemistry of the [ closo ‐B 12 (OR) 12 ] 2– ion which is evident by a dramatic color change. This probe is effective over a wide pH range and has the ability to discriminate bio‐thiols from common amino acids.