Review of advances in development of fluorescent BODIPY probes (chemosensors and chemodosimeters) for cation recognition

Content assessment of metal ions (analytes) in solutions, industrial waters and natural objects is one of the most important tasks in biochemistry, medicine, ecology and various industries. To solve this problem, new types of highly sensitive and selective analytical probes are being developed. The most promising areas of analytical control are based on the bright coloristic and fluorescent responses of the complexation reactions of the probe with the analyte. Various classes of fluorescent dyes have been successfully used to obtain such probes. Among them, BODIPY fluorophores are of particular interest due to the manifestation of intense spectral-luminescent and other practically significant properties. The review focuses on advances in the development of chromo-fluorogenic BODIPY probes containing various receptor fragments selective for cations of individual s-, p-, d- or f-elements. Probes work by various mechanisms, such as photo induced electron transfer (PET), internal charge transfer (ICT), fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and others. Ultimately, the reaction of the probe with the analyte results in significant fluorescent “Off-On” or “On-Off” responses. The review contains several sections in which fluorescent BODIPY probes were divided into groups of detectable s-, p-, d- and f-elements. The spectral properties of BODIPY probes, their chromo-fluorogenic, including ratiometric, responses when binding to the analyte being determined in solutions, the binding efficiency, as well as the selectivity of determining the analyte are discussed. In addition, in many cases the possibility of practical use of probes for the analysis of metal ions in aqueous, aqueous-organic media, and cells was shown.