Non-covalently Functionalized Fluorescent Carbon Nanotubes： A Supramolecular Approach of Selective Zinc Ions Sensing in Living Cells

A fluorescent cyclodextrin/carbon nanotube assembly was easily constructed through the non-covalent attach- ment of adamantanylpyrene on carbon nanotube and the following association of cyclodextrin derivative bearing fluorescent substituent, and its structure was fully characterized by UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Fluorescence spectroscopic and fluorescence microscopic studies showed that the resultant non-covalently functionalized fluo- rescent nanotube could be used as a highly selective fluorescent probe for Zn2＋ in both water and living cells. Without carbon nanotube, the fluorescence probe was unable to enter the cell but only anchored on the cell mem- brane. This approach will overcome the disadvantage of many spectral sensors that are unable to enter living cells and greatly improve the application of naotube-related supramolecular architecture in nanoscience and technology.