Firefly-Inspired Approach to Develop New Chemiluminescence Materials

Yuxing Yan; Shuo Wang; Fuli Xie; Xiaofeng Fang; Yu-Mo Zhang; Sean Xiao-An Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2019.02.003

Firefly-Inspired Approach to Develop New Chemiluminescence Materials

iScience. 2019 Mar 29:13:478-487. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2019.02.003. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Authors

Yuxing Yan¹, Shuo Wang¹, Fuli Xie¹, Xiaofeng Fang¹, Yu-Mo Zhang², Sean Xiao-An Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China; College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China; College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China. Electronic address: zhangyumo@jlu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Bioluminescence, wherein marine and terrestrial organisms chemically produce light for communication, is a burgeoning area of research. Herein, we demonstrate a new series of artificial chemiluminescent compounds inspired by the enol-degradation reaction of natural bioluminescent molecules, luciferins. Based on systematic optical experiments, isotope labeling, and theoretical calculations, the chemiluminescent mechanism of these new materials and the relationship of enol-degradation reaction and chemiluminescence are fully discussed. The color and efficiency of the artificial chemiluminescent materials can be easily adjusted, and blue (486 nm), yellow (565 nm), and near-infrared (756 nm) luminescence can thus be obtained. The findings and in-depth understanding herein may accelerate the development of bio/chemiluminescent materials for analytical applications and non-invasive bioluminescence imaging.

Keywords: Chemistry; Functional Group Chemistry; Organic Chemistry.