Blue two-photon fluorescence metal cluster probe precisely marking cell nuclei of two cell lines

Abstract

A bifunctional peptide was designed to in situ reduce Cu ions and anchor a Cu cluster. The peptide-Cu cluster probe, mainly composed of Cu14, emitted blue two-photon fluorescence under femtosecond laser excitation. Most important, the probe can specifically mark the nuclei of HeLa and A549 cells, respectively.