Photocaged probes for spatiotemporal imaging

Two compounds with nitrobenzene-derived caging groups were designed and synthesized for cells and tissues imaging. After 350 nm irradiation, the two reagents can realize highly efficient fluorescence turn on with large Stokes shift. As for the two probes can bare out a common functional group of aldehyde group under UV irradiation, it may be used for detection of cysteine, DNA methylation in a spatiotemporal method with selectivity. The idea of design and synthesis might be used in other modified reagents for controlling biological function with light.